Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said plans to hold international competitions for scientific projects in Russia will help assert Russia's leading role in global science.

"It is always a strong incentive," he told the winners of international competitions for educational projects.

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Medvedev also said that the Olympic Games always help promote sports in the host country. "The same refers to scientific Olympiads," Medvedev said.

Kazan will host an international informatics Olympiad in 2016, earlier reports said. "The event must be well prepared. Naturally, I will issue all the necessary instructions," Medvedev said.

Such Olympiads are important as "they will maintain our role as a key player in this sphere," he said.

Medvedev instructed Mass Media Minister Nikolai Nikiforov to put video linkup facilities in place for the participants.

"I'll take care of this," Nikiforov said, noting that this project will probably be financed from off-budget sources by establishing a non-commercial organization.

"This is the way things are done across the world," Medvedev said.

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