Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has unveiled plans to reverse Russia's declining population.
The government will spend 1.5tn roubles ($53bn; £33bn) on raising the birth rate and extending life expectancy.
He announced the plan in a key speech to the Duma on the economy ahead of presidential elections in March 2012.
The prime minister has hinted he may seek to return to the presidency, but it is unclear whether the incumbent Dmitry Medvedev would make way for him.
Mr Putin, widely seen as the power behind the throne in Russia, stood down as president at the last election because of a constitutional limit on his term in office, and backed Mr Medvedev - a close political ally - as his successor.
'Unjustified liberalism'
The speech was seen as an opportunity for Mr Putin to outline his economic policies ahead of the presidential elections, as well as parliamentary elections due in December.
The prime minister positioned himself as a political hardliner, in contrast with Mr Medvedev who has presented a more liberal face and greater openness to the West during his presidency.
The Russian premier, whose government has been criticised in the West for stifling democracy, once again said that political stability was more important than liberalising too fast.
"The country needs a decade of strong, calm development, without different kinds of swings, poorly thought out experiments based on at times unjustified liberalism or, on the other hand, on social demagoguery," he said, reminding voters of the disasters of the 1990s.
Mr Putin emphasised the need for the Russian economy to diversify away from energy and mineral exports, and reduce its economic dependence on the outside world.
"The oil boom we are witnessing only underlines the need to move quickly to a new model of economic development," he said.
"Economic weakness and sensitivity to external shocks result in threats to national sovereignty.
"Let's be frank - in the modern world, if you are weak, there is always someone who will come in and unequivocally recommend which way to go, what policy to conduct, what path to choose."
In a surprise initiative, he called for "demography projects" in a country whose population has fallen 6% since the mid-90s.
"First, we expect the average life expectancy to reach 71 years," he said.
"Second, we expect to increase the birth rate by 25-30% in comparison to the 2006 birth rate."
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