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Taking part in the meeting were State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Naryshkin, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov and Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov.

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: I would like to say a few words at the beginning of our meeting.

My extensive trip to North America will begin today. It will include my visit to the United States, where, as I have told you before, I am going to see for myself what makes the Silicon Valley, what it is, which is important for our national modernisation project. Their experience is not definitive, but nevertheless it is quite interesting. I will also hold negotiations with US administration, with the President of the United States and other colleagues.

That will be followed by a visit to Canada, where G8 and G20 summits will take place. We are going to discuss international affairs there, as well as strategic issues, the so-called global management, but the matter that is particularly important, one that we have recently discussed at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum and at other venues, is the current situation in the global economy and finance.

Our efforts have been successful in recent times. I believe that the G20 has played its part in this. Despite sceptical predictions, it is the only venue today where we can discuss global economic issues in an open, frank and efficient way.

A number of decisions adopted by the G20 have now been implemented, for example the decisions on the redistribution of quotas in international financial organisations. But there are other decisions that still need to be put into reality.

I believe we have seen a qualitative step forward in the way we have been coordinating our policies. But that does not mean that we have changed the situation for the better. Although the majority of national economies and the global economy have resumed growth this year, certain negative trends persist and the crisis in the European economy, in the European Union, particularly in some of its member states, shows that the negative trends in the global market have not been completely overcome.

I have discussed this with the Government, and now I would like to talk with you, the permanent members of the Security Council, about Russia’s approaches to our relations with the United States, and certain decisions that may be adopted by the G20 and which will be debated by the G8.

Russia is aware of its role in these discussions. We agreed to always deliberate this with the main players in the global economy. But in order for us to define our country’s position more precisely, I suggest we hold consultations right now.

That is our agenda. I would like us to focus on this in addition to current issues.

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