All news

Medvedev opens final sitting of government

GORKI, December 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has opened the final sitting of the government in the expiring year.

The ministers gathered in the premier’s residence in Gorki. President Vladimir Putin will soon join the sitting.

Totally 45 sessions were held in 2013 and discussed 21 different issues related to the social and economic policy of the state, the government’s press service told Itar-Tass.

Pre-New Year’s session will be different. The government will sum up the results of its activity in 2013 and determine plans in the coming year. President Vladimir Putin, who will assess the work of ministers and determine key tasks for the future, will take part in the sitting.

To all appearances government members should not fear “such an exam”. At the news conference on December 19 Putin assessed the work of the government as “satisfactory”. “I gave figures of the economy’s work: there are problematic figures. But as a whole I consider the work of the government satisfactory,” the president said.

“The expiring year was difficult for the economy. When the European economy (trade turnover was over 50 percent) was practically stagnating we hold the bar high,” Putin said, adding “In general, the work of the government is professional.”

“There is no need to reshuffle personnel and make any changes. The ministerial merry-go-round is worse thing,” he said.

“The government has not used its potential in full,” Putin said.