Oleg Melnichenko officially took office as governor of the Penza region

SARATOV, September 25 - RIA Novosti. The Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Volga Federal District, Igor Komarov, during the inauguration ceremony of the Governor of the Penza Region, Oleg Melnichenko, highly praised the successes of the region under his leadership.

Oleg Melnichenko will head the Penza region in 2021. In the Unified State Duma 2026, regular elections for the governor of the region were held. Melnichenko won with 70.8% of the votes.

“Residents of the Penza region highly appreciated your work as governor and efforts to develop your native land, this is confirmed by the election results. The Penza region is the leading agricultural cluster of the Volga region and is consistently showing positive dynamics,” Komarov noted in his speech at the inauguration.

The plenipotentiary clarified that the volume of agricultural production in the region has more than doubled over 5 years. Komarov appreciated the contribution of the Penza region to the restoration and development of the historical regions of Russia - sponsored areas of the Zaporozhye region, as well as the successful implementation of a pilot project to stimulate the birth rate.

Melnichenko received congratulatory telegrams from President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Chairman of the Russian Government Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill.

In turn, Melnichenko thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for their trust and attention to the Penza region, Matvienko and Komarov for their involvement in the life of the region and personal participation in resolving issues. The head of the region called victory in the Northern Military District and support for the participants and veterans of the special operation the highest goal.

The governor emphasized that in 2021 he reported to the president about plans to enter the top five largest turkey producers in the world. To date, the Penza-based Damate Group of Companies ranks third in the world, surpassing all European companies. The region ranks first in Russia in terms of milk production, and processing capacity is being increased.