The coronavirus situation in Russia will gradually improve, and large-scale vaccination will reduce fears that have been holding back economic development. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin expressed this opinion in a video address to the participants of the Gaidar Forum on Thursday.
"Now comes the tipping point of the coronavirus crisis. I am sure that the situation will gradually improve further," the prime minister said. He noted that Russia has begun a large-scale vaccination of the population against the coronavirus, which should create full protection against the new disease it causes. "And as a general immunity is formed, concerns that have been holding back economic development and trade will begin to fade into the past," Mishustin said.
The head of the Cabinet reminded that Russia was the first country to register a vaccine against the coronavirus and began actively using it. "This allows us to expect that our recovery period will go much faster," he said.
According to Mishustin, the government has formed the necessary framework for this, launched a number of measures to support the economy and the population. "Some of them will be in effect this year as part of the national plan. Its goal is to return the economy to the path of sustainable growth," he said. The Prime Minister added that this year the number of insurance premiums for small and medium business, reduced by half in respect of payments above the minimum wage, also reduced the rate on concessional loans for small businesses.
The Prime Minister said that the Cabinet of Ministers has also made a special emphasis on solving social problems, supporting families with children and people of the older generations, which will remain the focus of the government's attention this year.
In general, according to Mishustin, "the governments of many countries are now looking for an answer to the key question - what will be the world after the victory over the new infection, and this answer will determine the essence of long-term strategies - both in the economy and many social programs".
Economic reaction
The economy in Russia reacted much more subdued in 2020 to pandemic-related challenges than in a number of countries, Mishustin said.
"Last year, our economy reacted much more restrained to the challenges of the spread of the infection than a number of countries did," he said.
About the forum
The Gaidar Forum is an annual international scientific and practical conference in the field of economics, which has been held since 2010. It is organized by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy and the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia (AIRR). TASS is the general information partner of the forum.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS