April 1, 2013. The Mid-Urals have been developing unevenly: Yekaterinburg is heading forth quite fast, but the modernization programs for Nizhniy Tagil are still not totally complete, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his meeting with Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Evgeny Kuivashev in Sochi on March 28.

‘As for Yekaterinburg, its development pace is quite satisfactory: the city is growing better in terms of appearance and in terms of the quality of service it offers. However, it is quite obvious that a lot has to be done in other large enough towns and cities in the area,’ the President pointed out.

‘I asked you and my Plenipotentiary Representative in Ural Federal District to devise an action plan for Nizhniy Tagil. I know that the proposals are more or less ready, and we talk about the construction and commissioning of culture and sports facilities, urban improvements, healthcare, and education here. When will all the proposals be finalized?’ Putin asked.

‘We have prepared our applications, and over a half of these have already been accounted for in the project and design documentation. We are working in close cooperation with Mayor of Nizhniy Tagil on the documentation. Our applications have been placed with the Finance Ministry, and some meetings have been held. Sverdlovsk Region and Nizhniy Tagil intend to meet the obligations we have assumed, there can be no doubt about that. The money has already been allocated by the Finance Minister, so it can arrive any day now,’ Kuivashev told the President.