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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues,

We have a tradition of meeting on the Day of the Russian Constitution, December 12. This is no accident: it is a good tradition. By law, the President, the head of state, is the guarantor of the Constitution, and the purpose of the Constitutional Court is also to ensure compliance with the basic law; in fact, it has even broader powers, it has the ability to interpret the Constitution. This makes it a living instrument and makes it possible to respond to what is happening in society. The Constitutional Court’s decisions are final, which is very important and a big prerogative and responsibility.

I congratulate you on the Constitution Day and want to thank you for many years of joint efforts. I want to point out that despite the fact that the work you do is highly complex and demanding, you cope with it very well. People sometimes require your decisions even on everyday matters. More importantly, the Constitutional Court’s firm stand on upholding the constitutional foundations of our state is the backbone of our country because the erosion and undermining of the basic law leads to the erosion and the weakening of the state. This is your great historic mission. I want to thank you for that and once again congratulate you on Constitution Day.

On this day I must highlight that although the Constitution, the supreme law, is a living instrument, as I have said, but at the same time it is important to be very careful with its basic premises. The basic law must be stable. Much of the stability of the state and the fundamental rights and freedoms of Russian citizens depend on its stability.

Once again, happy holiday and I wish you all the best.

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