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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Volodin, how is the work proceeding? All is well?

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin: Everything is going well. You have congratulated us and provided your assessment. To my mind, all this will mobilise all of us even more.

You are right in saying that when it comes to parliament, it is essential to continue developing different forms of work, because parliamentary democracy does not stand still. Today marks the 119 years since the first session of the Imperial State Duma, which convened …

Vladimir Putin: In 1906.

Vyacheslav Volodin: Yes, in 1906.

But, if we analyse the development of parliamentary democracy in contemporary Russia, a great deal has changed since 1993. And I would like to express my gratitude to you once again because you initiated a new approach towards forming and distributing the results of election victories, because a format when the winner does not take it all, but divides various opportunities on an equal basis, while controlling the majority of State Duma seats, is yielding its results. The quality of decisions has improved.

Of course, this encourages additional discussions and more opposition. Although we have five parliamentary parties in the State Duma now, each of them has a right to vote, to exercise influence, to oppose and to speak at the State Duma while representing a small group of voters.

Members of each parliamentary party head various committees, serve as deputy speakers and take part in the Council’s meeting on an equal footing. This, of course, improves the quality of decisions and boosts efficiency.

Today, we held a meeting of the Council of Legislators. This is a new form of our work. It has proved quite effective over many years because we meet with heads of legislatures and discuss problem issues within their remit. But, considering the fact that we are responsible for regulating and forming the legislative framework, we adopt decisions together with the Government.

We discussed the issue of improving the quality of education and healthcare, addressing such issues as training specialists for the healthcare and education sectors, which are experiencing shortages of human resources. You speak about these issues and issue instructions to the Government and Parliament. We have therefore decided to discuss these issues together with the Government.

As for the topic you raised in your speech today – the need to preserve historical memory and protect our historical heritage – we have significantly intensified our efforts in recent years. Since 2021, we have adopted eleven laws aimed at protecting historical memory. We are doing everything possible to ensure that those who desecrate the graves of our soldiers and officers or destroy memorials are held accountable, even if they live outside our country or are citizens of other states. These actions will now fall under the scope of our legislation. From a legal standpoint, responsibility can be established remotely, and our judicial authorities will now have the means to enforce it. Of course, it is extremely important to us that history is not rewritten, and, most importantly, that our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who gave their lives are protected, no matter where they are buried.

In this regard, tomorrow we will be hosting a forum initiated by the Belarus-Russia Parliamentary Assembly. We have invited colleagues from other countries, and around 20 nations will be represented, not only from the CIS. Delegations from Slovakia, Serbia, as well as our friends from China, Vietnam, Mongolia, and Cuba will be attending. We look forward to seeing you there.

Vladimir Putin: Absolutely. Of course. As we agreed.

What you have just said is extremely important. The social sector, in particular, holds great value and interest: it is about the daily lives of our people and the challenges they face: healthcare and education are among the most critical areas of activity for any state.

It is clear that significant progress has been made recently, but it is equally clear that many issues remain. Whatever the circumstances, these matters must always be addressed. If we take our focus off them, even for a moment, everything could falter. Therefore, this is absolutely right. I ask that, together with the Government, you pay particular attention to these issues, as they are of vital importance to everyone.

Vyacheslav Volodin: Mr President, we will make every effort to achieve this. Furthermore, just last week, we received the latest legislative initiative from the Government regarding the implementation of the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly. We now have every reason to believe that the Address will be fully implemented during the spring session. Currently, 88.5 percent of the Address has already been realised.

Your directive to meet with people without fail will also be implemented. We are amending the law; previously, it stated that a deputy could meet with voters once every six months. This will now be replaced by a requirement for monthly meetings. We have a regional week every month, and it will be essential for each deputy to spend this week in the regions, engaging with the people. This will help address many of the issues at hand.

I would like to emphasise once again that without the President’s support and your personal attention to the State Duma and to the Parliament, we would have hardly achieved anything. In the 1990s, there was much noise but little action. Today, deputies are dedicating more time to their work, but many challenges remain. Therefore, it is far too soon for us to rest on our laurels.

Vladimir Putin: We will make decisions and work together.