MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. The Russian government will keep its support for rural areas and do its best to improve the lives of their residents, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday in a letter to congratulate Russian agricultural workers on their professional holiday.

"Almost every third citizen of our country lives and works in rural areas, that’s why we will always do our best to make life in the countryside more intense, beautiful and interesting, to give every person a chance for putting into practice his plans and desires, to use his best qualities and talents on his native soil," reads the congratulatory letter, posted on the Kremlin website early on Wednesday.

"We will do our best to improve healthcare, roads, education," he continued. "Of course, a lot remains to be done in those areas, but we will naturally keep making progress and will move only forward."

The president said that the agricultural sector has posted noticeable growth lately, with agricultural production increasing by 20% in the past five years.

"Agriculture has become a high-technology sector, has become a driving force for the entire Russian economy. Last year alone, we harvested record 135 million tonnes of grain," he added.