Programme

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s State of the Nation Address in 2024 provided answers to pressing questions about Russia’s future and outlined the key focuses of the country’s development in the short and medium term. Putin also focused separately on social and infrastructure goals, as well as the task of establishing innovative technological leadership to ensure Russia’s competitiveness in the modern world. The increased attention paid to the regions and the trend of expanding the powers of the governor’s corps also highlight the special role of the regions in shaping Russia’s future. The creation of modern research and technological infrastructure in the regions will drive the innovative development of the entire country.
The Russian government is moving on to the next task of the long-term goal of ensuring technological leadership after overcoming the initial challenges associated with sanctions. The Club’s themes focus on regional approaches to solving problems related to establishing technological sovereignty as well as economic and social development outlined in the Address.
Discussion questions:
• Key focuses for Russia’s future development. Technological sovereignty projects in key areas: support for technological entrepreneurship, infrastructure solutions, and social projects. How does your region see one or more of these focuses being implemented?
• Technology leadership. The role of the regions and effective practices in the federal technological sovereignty strategy.
• Regional diversity. How can regional practices and approaches complement federal development programmes in key areas and enhance their effectiveness? How could a system for exchanging best regional practices and interregional cooperation function to achieve the country's development goals?
• Vision of the future. What regional decisions to negate sanctions pressure could become part of a new long-term development strategy?

Moderator
Daria Kislitsyna, Director of the Department of Regional Programs, Social Research Expert Institute (EISI)

Daria Kislitsyna

Director of the Department of Regional Programs, Social Research Expert Institute (EISI)

Front row participants
Sergey Altukhov, Deputy, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, member of the Economic Policy Committee
Igor Kobzev, Governor of Irkutsk Region
Vladislav Kuznetsov, Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Region
Andrey Nikitin, Governor of the Novgorod Region
Aisen Nikolaev, Head of Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
Arthur Parfenchikov, Head of the Republic of Karelia
Sergey Perminov, Vice Chairman of the Committee of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the Rules of Procedure and Organization of Parliamentary Activities
Alexander Sokolov, Governor of the Kirov Region
Vladimir Solodov, Governor of Kamchatka Territory
Anna Fedulkina, Executive Director, EISR

Sergey Altukhov

Deputy, State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, member of the Economic Policy Committee

Igor Kobzev

Governor of Irkutsk Region

Igor Ivanovich Kobzev, Governor of the Irkutsk Region, was born on October 29, 1966 in Voronezh.
He graduated from the Voronezh Higher Military Aviation Engineering School in 1988, from Voronezh State University in 2001, from Voronezh Institute of Economics and Social Management in 2006, and from the Academy of State Fire-Fighting Service of the Russian Emergency Ministry in 2017. In 2009 and 2012 he attended advanced training courses at the Academy of Civil Defense.
In 1988-1999 Igor Kobzev served in personnel support positions at the Syzran Aviation School of Pilots, a separate mobile mechanized brigade, a rescue center of the Russian Emergency Ministry.
From August 2000 to December 2003 - Head of Civil Defense and Emergency Situations of Zheleznodorozhny Voronezh - Deputy Chief of Civil Defense in the city of Voronezh.
From December 2003 to January 2005 was assistant chief of the Main Directorate (for the organization of security service of the military and internal services).
From 2005 to 2008 - Head of Personnel, Educational Work, Professional Training and Psychological Support.
From January 2008 to May 2010 - first deputy head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in the Voronezh region.
From 2010 to 2016, he served as head of the Main Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry in Voronezh region.
From April 2016 to August 2017 - first deputy head of the Central Regional Center of EMERCOM of Russia, served as acting head of the Central Regional Center.
Since August 2017 - Director of the Personnel Policy Department of EMERCOM of Russia.
Since August 2018, he served as acting Deputy Minister of EMERCOM of Russia.
On May 1, 2019, by presidential decree, he was appointed Deputy Minister - Chief State Inspector of the Russian Federation for Fire Supervision of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
On November 4, 2019, by presidential decree, he was appointed Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia - Chief State Inspector of the Russian Federation for Fire Supervision of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
Igor Kobzev participated in 1995 in the armed conflict on the territory of the Chechen Republic; in 1998, during the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, he participated in organizing the sending of a convoy with humanitarian aid to the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia. He led the elimination of a large man-made fire in the production building of CJSC Yantar with the threat of ammonia spreading to the residential sector (Voronezh, 1998.); in 2010 - the elimination of the emergency situation related to snow jams on the federal highway M "Don" in the Voronezh region and the elimination of consequences of large natural fires on the territory of the Voronezh region. In 2014, he led the operation to receive refugees from Ukraine on the territory of Voronezh region, in 2018 he participated in the prevention of emergency situations during the FIFA World Cup, as well as participated in the elimination of other major emergencies and socially significant incidents.
On December 12, 2019, he was appointed Acting Governor of the Irkutsk Region by presidential decree.
On September 13, 2020, he was elected Governor of the Irkutsk Region.
On September 18, 2020, he took office as Governor of the Irkutsk Region.
Igor Kobzev is Colonel General of the Internal Service. Recipient of state and departmental awards.

Vladislav Kuznetsov

Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Region

Andrey Nikitin

Governor of the Novgorod Region

Born in 1979 in Moscow.
2001 – graduated from State University of Management.
2007 – was awarded EMBA degree at Stockholm school of Economics.
2002-2011 – held key positions in Ruskompozit Group of companies composed of the largest Russian enterprises which do business in the markets of glass fibre, composite and geosynthetic materials.
2009 — was appointed Director General of Ruskompozit Management Company LLC.
Since 27.07.2011 – held a position of the CEO of the Agency of Strategic Initiatives (ASI).
13.02.2017 – was appointed the acting governor of the Novgorod region by the Presidential Decree.
Member of the Presidium of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for economic modernization and innovative development of Russia.
Member of the Presidium of the Presidential Council for Strategic Development and Priority Projects.
Member of the Supervisory Board of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects.
Awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II class and the Russian Federation Presidential Certificate of Gratitude.
Ph.D. degree in Economics.

Aisen Nikolaev

Head of Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

Born on January 22, 1972 in Leningrad
1994 - graduated from the physics department of Lomonosov Moscow State University
Started his career in finance corporation «SAPI»
1995 – Deputy Chairman of the Board of «Almazergienbank»
1998 – The Chairman of «Almazergienbank»
2004 – Minister of Finance of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
2007 – Chief of the Presidential and Government Administration of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
2011 – First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
2012 - 2017 – Mayor of the city of Yakutsk
May 2018 – appointed as acting Head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)
The Head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) since September 2018
He was elected to the State Assembly (Il Tumen) of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).
Granted title of honor «Honored Worker of National Economy of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)». Decorated with diplomas of the Federation Council, The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Arthur Parfenchikov

Head of the Republic of Karelia

Sergey Perminov

Vice Chairman of the Committee of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the Rules of Procedure and Organization of Parliamentary Activities

Alexander Sokolov

Governor of the Kirov Region

Vladimir Solodov

Governor of Kamchatka Territory

Anna Fedulkina

Executive Director, EISR