EPA/AFP Vladimir Putin has boasted about Russia's superior birth rate

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The Kremlin supremo went on a bizarre rant about fertility as he announced plans to roll out 94 “hi-tech” perinatal centres across the country during his annual address to parliament. Mr Putin pledged a series of measures, from scientific to social, to grow Russia’s birth rate over the next few decades as he hailed increasing the country’s “human capital” as a major policy. And in a swipe at the European Union he reeled off the fertility figures for a number of EU member states to demonstrate how his country was outperforming them in terms of population growth.

During a bristling speech the Kremlin chief tore into EU sanctions on Russia, which he claimed were not working, and took a pop at the Brussels elite over the populist uprising threatening to dethrone them. He made a coded reference to the rise of anti-establishment figures like Marine Le Pen, Beppe Grillo and Geert Wilders, saying that he expected negotiations with Europe to be much more friendly in future. But it was his remarks on fertility which were revealing, giving a key indication of how Russia intends to reduce its economic reliance on the West by boosting productivity at home.

REUTERS The Russian supremo said he is determined to boost Russia's population

GETTY Mr Putin also said he will prioritise close relations with Donald Trump

Thanks to a series of financial incentives aimed at young families, Russia now has a birth rate of 1.7 children per woman, which is just below the average global tally of 1.8. However, as Mr Putin so pointedly remarked, it is significantly higher than many of Moscow’s European neighbours, which are struggling with economic stagnation and in some cases falling populations. Germany, Italy and Austria have birth rates of 1.4, in Spain and Greece the figure stands at 1.3 and in Portugal it is just 1.2. Britain has a higher rate, of around 1.85 children per woman.

And speaking at the Duma, the Russian president said: “Colleagues, the basis of our entire policy is to take care of people and increase human capital as Russia’s most important resource. “Therefore, our efforts are aimed at supporting the traditional values and the family, at implementing demographic programmes, improving the environment and people’s health, and promoting education and culture. “The natural population growth continues. In 2015, the total fertility rate will be even higher in Russia to 1.78. The rise is slight but it is still a rise.” Elsewhere in a long and often painstakingly detailed speech Mr Putin made references to his foreign policy priorities over the next few year, including normalising relations with new US president Donald Trump.

Vladimir Putin in pictures Tue, December 13, 2016 Russin President Vladimir Putin in pictures Play slideshow 1 of 56