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Live Blog: Putin's Annual Address As It Happened

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his annual address to parliament.

-- Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual state-of-the-nation address to parliament to focus on domestic affairs, including measures to counter Russia’s declining population.

-- The address was delivered this year at Moscow’s Manezh exhibition hall.

-- It was the 16th time Putin has delivered the address before an audience that includes government ministers, judges from the constitutional and supreme courts, leading regional officials, and other members of the political elite.

09:50 15.1.2020

Praises Russia's system of digital television. Best in the world. Notes that Russia is one of the few countries in the world with its own, domestic social-media companies.

09:50 15.1.2020

Says government must improve conditions for scientific research, innovation, and the introduction of new technologies.

09:47 15.1.2020

Calls for measures to force producers to cover the cost of disposing of their products.

09:46 15.1.2020

Talks about need for improvements in "ecological monitoring" for clean air, water, soil.

09:44 15.1.2020

Again calls for reform of the Criminal Code as it affects business. Notes that small businesses complain that they are sometimes charged with being "organized-crime organizations."

09:43 15.1.2020

Now discussing what is needed to "stimulate investment." Tax reform. New laws "on the protection of investments." Support for medium and small businesses, as well as for major projects.

09:43 15.1.2020

Everyone had to turn off their mobile phones, no exceptions ...

09:42 15.1.2020

Among the most acerbic commentators and critics of the Kremlin is a 27-year-old man who lives in the North Caucasus region of Daghestan and whose physical disability has confined him to a wheelchair.

Aleksandr Gorbunov's commentary -- on his Telegram channel and his Twitter feed -- riled local and federal authorities so much that last year his home in the city of Makhachkala was raided by authorities.

Read RFE/RL's profile of Gorbunov here from May 2019.

Gorbunov had this quick, hot take on Putin's speech today.

“A little bit of humiliation of the great superpower is now ongoing live: billionaires with unlimited power who have run the country as they want for 20 years are sitting in a hall promising to arrange hot meals for young elementary school students.”

09:41 15.1.2020

Turns his attention to macroeconomics and begins talking about inflation "in the consumer sphere."

09:39 15.1.2020

Turns his attention to the problem of providing medicines across the country, notes that there have been problems with this in recent years. Urges the government to work on this immediately, noting that many people are going without "critical" medications.

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