YOSHKAR-OLA, July 20. /TASS/. The number of Russians who believe that relations among people of different ethnic backgrounds are friendly has increased to 80%, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday opening a session of the Council for Interethnic Relations.

"It is worth mentioning the number of Russia’s citizens who think that relations among people of different ethnic backgrounds are friendly. They are nearly 80%," Putin said, reminding that the situation was quite opposite 10-15 years before.

"Our goal is to preserve concord in society, firstly through permanent interaction and constructive dialogue between the power and civic society institutions," he said.

One in five Russians says that local authorities’ activities in interethnic relations are not sufficient, the president added drawing attention of local governments to the fact.

"Escalation of most conflicts is rooted, first of all, in inability to prevent and solve them in due time on the spot," Putin said.