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Putin to discuss social policy with government, meet with Paralympians and scientists

"The main agenda of the session is the issue of priorities of demographic and social policy of the government in 2017 and in the next three years," the presidential press service said

MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a traditional session with the government in the Kremlin on Monday, meet with Russian para athletes and recipients of scientific grants, the presidential press service said.

Social policy

"The main agenda of the session (with the government) is the issue of priorities of demographic and social policy of the government in 2017 and in the next three years," the press service said. Putin will also discuss several current topics with ministers. The meeting will take place in the first day after the elections to the State Duma in which the United Russia party headed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is in the lead, according to preliminary results.

The president regularly holds meetings with the government where he listens to reports and gives orders on the most pressing issues in different spheres. The last meeting was held on September 7, and it focused on the development of the Russian Arctic zone and providing disaster relief in the flood-hit Far East.

Meeting with para athletes

The president’s meetings with Olympians and Paralympians, especially after international competitions, has long ago become a tradition. Such meeting will be held in the Kremlin today as well despite the fact that Russians did not take part in the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) was disqualified, and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) did not allow 175 Russian para athletes to compete independently.

However, domestic competitions for Russian para athletes were held on September 8-9 in the Moscow Region, in which 263 Paralympians took part. Competitions were held in seven disciplines, and master classes - in another 11 disciplines. Russian para athletes banned from the Paralympics in Rio showed results that broke world records in many disciplines.

Putin earlier noted that winners and medalists of these competitions will get the same rewards as if they had participated in the Rio Paralympics.

The Russian leader said the decision to ban Russians from the Paralympics is cynical and humiliating for IPC. Disqualifying Russian Pralympians lies "beyond the law, beyond morals and beyond humanity," he added. Putin also noted double standards in the actions of anti-doping agencies.

Meeting with scientists

The Russian lead will also meet with scientists who received mega-grants for research.

The mega-grant program was launched in 2010, and its main aim was to attract world famous scientists to Russian universities (including Russians who immigrated abroad) in order to make science, education and hi-tech more appealing to young people. "Another task is filling competences that have been rapidly developing in the world but absent in the Russian science, along with implementing scientific results and developments in the economy," the press service added.

The Kremlin noted that over the last six years, 160 scientific laboratories were set up in Russia, led by prominent scientists from over 45 countries.