NOVO-OGARYOVO, September 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged to bring poverty to a minimum in the country and lift "a considerable amount of people" out of it.
"We all have numerous common challenges and common tasks. It is necessary to bring the poverty level in the country down to a minimum and to help a considerable amount of people out of it. It is necessary to improve the conditions of life, development and education, and simply the nutrition of children in low-income families, to raise for everyone the level and accessibility of quality modern education, healthcare and to continue transformations in the structure of the economy for cutting-edge high-tech industries," Putin said on Saturday in a video conference with leaders of the parties that have won seats in the lower house of Russia’s parliament (State Duma).
As the president noted, it is "extremely difficult, but an absolute priority."
"It is necessary, of course, to boost the economic growth. Those are not simply general, but uniting us goals. I am convinced that the experienced traditional parliamentary parties and the new political forces, which will be represented in Duma, will be aware of their responsibility to Russia and will do their utmost to justify the confidence - high confidence - shown by voters to them," the president added.
A huge income gap between the rich and poor in Russia is a problem, Putin said.
"The problem of enormous economic inequality between those whose incomes are very modest, to put it mildly, and those who receive such an income that most of our citizens cannot even dream about, can be solved in various ways, but it is a problem," Putin said at a meeting with leaders of the political parties that have won seats in the new State Duma in the recent elections.
The president emphasized that efforts should be joined to resolve that problem.
The meeting was attended by United Russia Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, CPRF party leader Gennady Zyuganov, LDPR party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, A Just Russia - Patriots - For Truth party leader Sergei Mironov, New People party leader Alexei Nechayev, and several party members with them, as well as Vyacheslav Volodin, the former State Duma Speaker of the United Russia party, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, and Sergei Kiriyenko, his first deputy.