President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, paid his first official visit after inauguration to URALVAGONZAVOD Research and Production Corporation. President Putin saw the main tank production line, met UVZ workmen, and discussed military-industrial complex development prospects.
The major part of the event was Vladimir Putin’s visit to the machine-assembly shop. There President Putin saw the first Russian modern armour fighting vehicle production line and met factory workers – URALVAGONZAVOD working committee activists. The committee was created in December 2011 to endorse Vladimir Putin for the Presidential Election 2012. Further the committee developed into trans-regional socio-political movement In Defence of the Working Man.
“I would like to thank you for your pro-active stand and support”, said President Putin. However as you know, after all these battles, the most laborious and demanding time comes when we need to work hard and perform strongly. This applies to me, the prospective government, the governor, the Presidential Envoy and all of you”.
According to President Putin, a three-year contract for 19 billion roubles (with 6 billion roubles coming this year) has been signed between the Ministry of Defence and URALVAGONZAVOD just recently. This contract will give mechanical assembly production shops a full load of work. Vladimir Putin has also pointed out that 6.2 billion roubles were allocated to upgrade URALVAGONZAVOD within the frame of the federal special-purpose programme for military-industrial complex development.
President Putin approved of the UVZ executives’ policy and said that 14.2 billion roubles allocated for the corporation by the government during the crisis was a solid investment. As a result, URALVAGONZAVOD’s 2011 profit amounts to 14 billion roubles.
At the end of the meeting Vladimir Putin left a thank-you note in the UVZ memory book. “With gratitude and love,” he wrote.
After that President Putin saw some advanced designs of armoured vehicles developed by URALVAGONZAVOD and such projects as Armata, new Nizhny Tagil machine-building plant and new Training and Exhibition Centre at Staratel testing area.
Besides, a meeting was held on new requirements for Russian military-industrial complex. The meeting was attended by President Putin, the executives of Russian Technologies State Corporation, Rosatom Corporation, URALVAGONZAVOD CEO Oleg Sienko, the factory workers and others. They discussed priorities set in Vladimir Putin’s article “Be strong: guarantee of national security for Russia”.
