Official website of the President of Russia

News   /

The meeting looked at current social and economic development issues and discussed the situation with the North Korean nuclear programme. Russia absolutely condemns the underground nuclear test carried out the day before by North Korea, Mr Putin said. The President expressed the hope that North Korea will return to the negotiating table, and instructed the Russian Foreign Ministry to hold consultations in this regard in the United Nations Security Council.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov and Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref reported on macroeconomic indicators for the first nine months of the year. The inflation rate was 7.2 percent over this period, while gross domestic product was up by 5.6 percent and labour productivity showed an increase of 5.5 percent.

Mr Gref also reported on work to establish a national oil exchange.

Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev reported on the results of this year’s harvest. Mr Putin instructed the Agriculture Ministry to take part in work to bring order to trading markets.

First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev informed the meeting on the preparation of the draft law on maternity capital, which would institute a payment of 250,000 roubles to mothers after the birth of their second child. The Government is due to examine the draft law at its next meeting.