Putin discusses Sakhalin's problems

The visit of President Putin to Sakhalin had two main aims: to honour the memory of the dead pilots and become convinced that all the life support programmes necessary for the region's population, will be implemented.

This follows from the results of Putin's visit to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, which paid last respects to the victims of the helicopter's crash on August 20. Twenty people died, including governor Igor Farkhutdinov.

The plane of the Russian president landed in the airport of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk at three hours in the morning, Moscow time. The president immediately went to the church where a funeral service was performed over the dead pilots.

When the service was over Putin approached the coffin of the Sakhalin's governor, laid four pinks, and said in low tones the words of condolences to the widow and the family of Farkhudinov.

The president stood for several minutes at the coffin of each dead pilot.

At the session in the governor's administration which soon began Putin stressed several times that the president's envoy in the Far Eastern federal district and the acting governor should personally control all the issues related to rendering assistance to the dead pilots' relatives. In his speech Putin highly assessed the many-year work of the Sakhalin region's governor and said that he knew him well and for a long time, and deeply respected him. Farkhutdinov made a lot for the island's citizens.

A tough conversation on business matters was conducted at the session. It concerned the budget-sphere workers' salaries, the situation in the housing and utilities sector and in small fishing settlements, preparation for winter, and many other issues.

Putin put questions to specify the situation, and judging by the character of the conversation he was satisfied with the replies of the acting governor, chairman of the regional Duma, head of the mayors' council of Sakhalin and other participants in the session.

The Russian president headed for the airport ten minutes before the beginning of the mourning meeting and asked that nobody see him off so that the meeting which gathered hundreds of people, and other mourning arrangements took place at the set time.

RIA Novosti was told at the press service of the head of the Russian state that Putin will conduct the working meetings in Moscow on Wednesday evening.