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Medvedev considers Far East development government’s priority

The prime minister said he is satisfied with the fact that the delegation included a great number of ministers and vice-premiers

PETROPAVLOVSK KAMCHATSKY, July 5 (Itar-Tass) — The development of the Far East will be the priority task of the Russian government, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said upon completion of the tour to the region on Thursday.

“The government will deal with the development of the Far East,” Medvedev said.

The prime minister said he is satisfied with the fact that the delegation included a great number of ministers and vice-premiers, who worked to their utmost for three days. “This means that the Far East is the priority task of the development of our country,” Medvedev noted. “My colleagues and I must visit this region regularly,” he stressed.

Replying to if the federal budget is planning to be adjusted due to the extension of the federal target programme on increasing seismic safety of buildings till 2018 and due to the implementation of the federal target programme on the development of the Kurile Islands, Medvedev said the government was estimating the need to adjust the budget, including owing to instability on external markets.

“The situation is not easy, but it is mobile when one cannot say the global financial crisis came on,” the prime minister said. “There are articles in the budget that we will not touch upon. These are social welfare, social programmes and wages,” he added.

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