Official website of the President of Russia

Документ   /

Participants in the meeting included Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Ivanov, Presidential Aide Andrei Belousov, Central Bank Chairperson Elvira Nabiullina and Accounts Chamber Chairperson Tatyana Golikova.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues,

I know that the Cabinet has been working actively over the last several days on finalising the anti-crisis plan. Given its name, “anti-crisis plan,” we understand that it must first and foremost ensure social stability. But we can only achieve this goal if we maintain acceptable economic parameters, first and foremost pertaining to the budget, inflation, the domestic debt level, maintaining reserves and so on. In other words, these are all areas of which we were rightfully proud in recent years. This is called macroeconomic stability.

We need to ensure economic growth on this foundation, and attracting private investments is one of its conditions. Of course, it is imperative to consider optimising budget expenditures, as we did in 2008 and 2009, to increase financing in certain areas and look at what can be done for certain parameters in the long-term perspective – I mean, what can be prioritised. In other words, we need to once again examine our priorities.

I know that tomorrow, the Prime Minister is planning to approve this plan by his resolution. I request that you meet with State Duma deputies this week and discuss all the parameters of this plan with them, so that we can achieve maximum consolidation in decision-making at both the executive and legislative levels of power.

Let us now discuss the suggestions you have formulated in more detail.

<…>