Vladimir Putin addressed All-Russia People’s Front

UFA, 19 December 2017. /Bashinform News Agency/. The Russian President took part in a plenary session of the All-Russia People’s Front (ONF) Action Forum.

The Russian leader marked that our country should properly face crucial historic challenges. «These are preserving and enlarging our nation, building a new economy, developing the Arctic, the Far East, Siberia and, in fact, all regions of our enormous country», Vladimir Putin said.

Russia is to make a breakthrough in technology, medicine, education. «Shutting ourselves off from these global trends or just trying to follow in someone's stead is certainly not our choice. This cannot be our choice», RIA Novosti cites the President.

The head of state noted that Russia had every opportunity to restore competencies, in which the country had always been an undisputed leader. "And we will definitely break through to the new competencies that we need for our development. There is no doubt about that. We must be leaders in knowledge, intellect, social and cultural development", Putin added.

According to the President, Russians have already proven that they can make their dreams and most ambitious plans come true and overcome the most complicated obstacles despite the situation. At the beginning of the 2000s it was said many prophesies that the country would break apart, the state would collapse and the nation would die off.

But it not only managed to preserve Russia’s unity and sovereignty and to experience a complex path of revival, but to achieve true breakthroughs in the most important development areas.

The head of state called for safeguarding our statehood and freedom, stability and social harmony. Putin defined this as his task as the president and a candidate for this post in the elections in 2018.