MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. The mechanism ensuring the stability of the macroeconomic situation in Russia has proven its resistance to external shocks, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.

"The mechanism of macroeconomic stability we created has proved its resistance to any external shocks," he noted at a meeting of the board of the Finance Ministry of Russia.

According to him, in 2018, for the first time in seven years, the federal budget was executed with a substantial surplus of 2.6% of gross domestic product. Also the situation with the budgets of the regions has improved significantly - the surplus amounted to 500 bln rubles ($7.7 bln).

The national debt was reduced by almost 5%.

Medvedev noted that by the end of 2018 the Russian economy showed positive trends. In particular, GDP started to grow at a higher rate, while inflation was kept at a level that allows the authorities to maintain macroeconomic stability and to develop the national economy, despite external pressure, "not always fair competition and various political attacks," the prime minister said.