MOSCOW, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday outlined six priorities for 2026 as he urged the government and regional authorities to intensify efforts in demographic, economic and technological fields to ensure effective implementation of national projects.

Speaking at a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, Putin said that in 2026, Russia must focus on addressing structural challenges that directly affect the country's long-term development goals.

Putin said that reversing negative demographic trends is the foremost task since birth rates continue to decline, noting that existing efforts are insufficient. He called for a comprehensive set of solutions to encourage higher fertility, support families with children, and extend regional best practices nationwide.

Improving the well-being of Russian households through stable economic growth is the second key task, Putin said, noting that economic expansion slowed this year amid declining inflation, with GDP expected to grow by about 1 percent.

However, he said that conditions now exist for gradually accelerating economic activity while maintaining low unemployment and moderate price levels.

The government's structural transformation plan through 2030, which prioritizes the creation of well-paid jobs in high-tech and high-value-added sectors, must begin immediately, he said.

Modernizing the structure of Russia's foreign trade represents the third priority. Putin called for a shift toward exporting more complex, technologically advanced goods, while focusing imports on high-tech products that lack domestic equivalents.

Putin said increasing transparency and reducing the shadow economy is the fourth major task, adding that the government has prepared a plan to curb illegal turnover in wholesale and retail markets, reduce unregistered employment, and tighten oversight of cash circulation.

Raising labor productivity is the fifth priority for 2026, Putin said, urging the rapid launch of sector-specific competence centers at the agriculture, digital development and energy ministries.

Accelerating technological leadership forms the sixth major task, he noted. Russia has laid the foundation for a new technological policy this year, adopting important regulatory changes and launching national projects aimed at securing technological sovereignty, he added.

The goal, he stressed, is not merely import substitution, but the development of globally competitive Russian technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, digital platforms and advanced automation. Enditem