Konstantin TITOV Person Activity 2002

Activity

2002

SAMARA REGION GOVERNOR’S ACTIVITY IN THE YEAR 2002

In 2002 as well as in the preceding year activities of the Governor K.A. Titov was directed to implementation of electoral mandate delegated to him in 2000. One can distinguish three main groups of primary importance: increasing of effectiveness in agriculture and farming complex, increasing of housing construction, and maximum provision of social security system.

What concerns agriculture, 2002 was marked by proposition of the governor addressed to the district heads to advocate their local development programs in the sphere of agricultural production. From his point of view, the process of program advocating is an evaluation of achieved results and an outlook into the future of a district development. Through preparation of such a program it is clear seen how to achieve success, overcome existing difficulties in development of crop, meat and dairy production. Nearly every head of districts underlined necessity to utilize modern farming methods, transfer to progressive resource-saving technologies in order to achieve sound results in this sector. Thus, it could be noted that the truthfulness of Mr. Titov’s opinion was proved as he stated that success could be achieved only by those manufacturers who went with the times and used the newest science progress and modern technologies. By the way, the example is nearby – last droughty summer farmers of CJSC “Lunacharskoye” from Stavropol district harvested 52 centners per hectare on farms using resource-saving technologies whereas neighboring collective farms working with outdated methods were lucky to harvest 14-15 centners per hectare.

Eventually, total crop output on the fields of Samara region equaled to more than 2 million tons in 2002 taking into consideration not very favorable weather conditions. Another important target, from the point of view of the governor consists in increasing of the grain quality – and this task is not solved by local farmers yet. It is planned to work on it further on as well as on implementation of a new project of sugar-beet cultivation in Samara region.

One of the most important activities of Mr. K. Titov in 2002 was his participation in the work of the working group on housing construction and mortgage within Presidium of the State Council of the Russian Federation as its head. The working group studied existing experience of foreign countries and constituent entities of the Russian Federation, Mr. Titov had a meeting with the Head of the President’s Administration Mr. A.S. Voloshin, and there was speculation on possible participation of the Pension Fund in development of mortgage system. Samara region experience came in handy in dealing with this issue – the region has adopted all necessary legal acts, regional mortgage and housing development fund has a history of several years of successful operation, the specialized fund of village housing construction is available. The working group had a chance to study experience of Spain during the visit in August and a private meeting with the president of mortgage association Mr. Mayao. Notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Titov is not a member of the State Council presidium due to rotation process the working group goes on to carry out activities since provision of moderate housing to citizens is a state task of primary importance.

The high significant event of the year 2002 was the start-up of the new joint venture General Motors – AvtoVAZ, which had been actively supported by the governor Titov. The official opening was attended by Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USA, Mr. A. Vershbow and Great Britain, Mr. R. Laine. The first car leaving conveyor belt was bought by the governor of Samara region.

Lobbying policy of Mr. Titov directed to protection of the regional interests was extremely effective in 2002. In particular, the governor of Samara region managed to hold two private meetings with the President of the Russian Federation Mr. Vladimir V. Putin and discuss the most important problems of Samara region. In June the meeting was addressed to the issue of specific economic zones support, which could solve existing problems of depressive towns , besides, the positive decision was made concerning holding an experiment in creation of educational districts on the territory of the region. The result of the meeting was expressed in the Act of the Government of the Russian Federation devoted to this issue. On the 1^st of September in Klyavlino village the governor opened a unique educational center – so, the educational reform in Samara region made the next step forward due to the President’s support.

In December Mr. K.A. Titov and Mr. V.V. Putin discussed the prospective of the socio-economic development of the region and the most important issue – introduction of changes and additions to the Federal Target-Specific Program “Ecology and Natural Resources of Russia” regarding socio-economic rehabilitation of Chapayevsk. The President of the Russian Federation agreed with position of the governor on necessity to increase federal budget financing and transferred the letter to the Government. He was concerned by the security of Samara waterworks and inland shipping joint. Some floodgates haven’t been reconstructed for more than 50 years. The President of the Russian Federation Mr. Putin took positive decisions. In fine, not by chance the powerful experts of the Independent Paper constantly reckon Mr. K.A. Titov among the category of “highly effective lobbyists”.

In 2002 Konstantin Titov was included into the delegation of the Russian Federation headed by the President V.V. Putin to the Republic of India. During the visit the Protocol on trade and economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation was signed between Samara region Administration and the government of the State of Karnataka. Also in 2002 the delegation of Samara region visited Finland where the governor Titov had a meeting with the Prime-minister Mr. Paavo Lipponen. This meeting , as expressed by both parties, started the new stage of interrelations development between Samara region and Finland taking into consideration that the Finnish partners having long cooperated with North-West regions turned their attention to Samara region considering it to be one of the most investment attractive in Russia. The same opinion was outlined by the Secretary of Commerce, USA Mr. Donald Evans, who visited samara region within the official visit of the President George Bush to the Russian Federation in May, 2002. And, Mr. Barth Shtaes, the chairman of the group of Europarlament deputies visiting the region mentioned that “Samara region is the most developing and promising regions in Russia”.

In 2002 the governor was active in strengthening of cooperation ties with CIS countries. Samara region delegation headed by Mr. Titov visited Kazakhstan in December and signed the Agreement on trade and economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation was signed between Samara region Administration and the Akimat of the Western-Kazakhstan region. During the visit the parties negotiated the issues of Kazakhstan gas deliveries to our province, cooperation in the field of machine building, motor car trading, manufactured by AvtoVAZ. Besides, interregional cooperation was also reinforced – the agreement with Bryansk region was prolonged, the region hosted the delegations from Nizhny Novgorod headed by Mr. Khodyrev and Novgorod headed by Mr. Prusak. Samara region dwellers didn’t put aside the catastrophes happened in Stavropol Krai and Kaliningrad region suffering from nature. Financial resources were sent to these regions by decision of the governor.

Unconditionally the most important activity of the governance Mr. Titov considers being the social support. The motto of Samara Region Administration - jobs for the strong, support for the weak – declared in 1991 is up to date even nowadays. The regional consolidated budget for 2002 is called socially oriented, the same could be said about the budget for 2003: additional financial assets are foreseen for the medical care system, social support of the poor, achieved additional financial assets, rehabilitation of the disabled, construction of rest homes and housing for veterans of the Great Patriotic War. By efforts of the governor who addressed to the Chairman of the Russian Government Mr. Mikhail M. Kasyanov, 184 inhabitants of Samara participating in the Chernobyl disaster liquidation managed to preserve benefits. Due to a legal collision they could lose benefits granted to the disabled persons and only interference of the governor helped to solve this problem.

Existing experience of housing granting to the families of the deceased soldiers fighting on the North-Caucasian region is also unique for Russia. According to a federal law housing is granted only to the families of the deceases officers. Mr. K.A. Titov considered it to be unjust and addresses the Samara Region Duma with a proposition to purchase flats for the families of all soldiers diseased in Chechnya. RUB 10,5 million were directed to fund this initiative and on the 25^th of October the governor personally handed the property certificate for the 4-roomed apartments to the mother of the diseased soldier Maxim Lukinov. On the 27^th of December corresponding certificates were handed to the families of other soldiers killed in Chechnya.

Such attention to the sphere of social security became the ground for awarding Samara region with the winner prize in competition called “Russian organization of the high social effectiveness”. It was awarded to a region for the first time in its history and it is remarkable that such a region turned out to be Samara province. The prize was awarded to the governor Mr. K.A. Titov in Kremlin by Vice Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation, Valentina I. Matvienko. As a result, she became a guest at a Fair of social and cultural projects within the Volga Federal District which was held in 2002 in Togliatti. And again Samara region had no rivals in terms of the number of competition winners.

Many rewards and titles were awarded to the governor of Samara region Mr. K.A. Titov in person. The Fund “Best manager of a new epoch” awarded the governor with the National Awards named after Peter the Great in nomination “For effective governance of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation” and the jury of “Person of the Year” competition declared him as the best among the regional leaders. On the 23^rd of December in Kremlin K.A. Titov was awarded the Order of Honor by which the leaders of business, science, politics having worldwide prominence and honorary degrees are awarded for exceptional merits in revival of glorious traditions and development of the national entrepreneurship. That was the final accord of the year 2002.