President Putin told the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum the
government’s task is to work from next year to restore steady economic growth,
and that a condition for this is higher investment and launching a new
investment cycle. He said real investment rose nearly 38% in 2021–24 but fell
last year, and that investment growth will be a key metric for government
performance. Putin said balanced growth should rely on domestic demand and
require keeping the downward trend in inflation; inflation has slowed markedly
and is expected at about 5.2% this year. He added Russia must not be closed off:
the state should ensure domestic production of critical goods and strengthen
infrastructure while continuing cooperation and cross‑border projects with
foreign partners.
