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Good afternoon, friends.

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I am very happy to see all of you and to have the opportunity 

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to welcome all of you and thank you for your work.

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This is a very good tradition – and it has indeed become a tradition –

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that we always meet on the eve of our holiday, National Unity Day,

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a holiday that has many positive implications.

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This implies that at all times 

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(even before Minin and Pozharsky)

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it was clear and became obvious in this dramatic period of our history 

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that the power of the people is inexhaustible.

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What we now call civil society is a great internal creative force.

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If combined with the efforts of the state,

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it creates incredible opportunities for national development.

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Your current forum is devoted to the analysis and prospects 

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of implementing national projects that have been adopted 

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by the Government in the wake of the Address to the Federal Assembly 

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and the Presidential Executive Order this year.

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I consider this extremely important.

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It is important because it can and should pool our efforts in making 

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a breakthrough in Russia’s development.

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I have just had the opportunity and pleasure to hear about some 

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of the projects and the people that have created them.

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What can I say? These are sincere,

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inherently beautiful and wonderful people that are enthralled by their 

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projects and get others interested in them.

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They are really helping people,

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helping to organise remarkable efforts and achieve wonderful results.

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I would like to assure you that we will also do everything 

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we can to support your efforts.

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Let me recall that in the past six years we have allocated 

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an impressive 30 billion rubles for the activities of NGOs.

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This year we will also earmark 8 billion,

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the same for next year, and no less in 2020.

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On the whole, I hope very much that this work will be expanded,

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and will include both small towns and rural areas.

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Starting this year, we will allot funds for NGO volunteers in rural 

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areas, which is very important and in very high demand as well.

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I have just had the opportunity to learn about one project 

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like this for the countryside.

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Friends, I know that after this meeting,

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the winners of the contest My Project for My Country will 

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receive their awards.

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I would like to congratulate the winners and wish all of you success 

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in your wonderful and noble work that our country and our 

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people need so much.

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I wish you all the best. Thank you very much.