"Rosagroleasing capital is also increasing by 25 billion roubles, as agreed before. A greater part of the sum will go toward purchasing farm machines and vehicles, as we have intended, thus increasing sales of Russian-manufactured machinery."

"True, we have made economic diversification our goal only recently. On the whole, I think we have taken the right road and are reaching our targets at a fairly good pace. The global financial and economic crisis is helping us, in a sense, because it forces us to be more rational, implement new technologies (energy saving, for example), upgrade production and retrain the personnel."

Mr Putin and Mr Basargin discussed preliminary results of housing construction in 2008 and housing prices in the regions.

“The Government is constantly monitoring efforts to provide affordable financing to farming, fishing and logging,” Mr Zubkov said at a meeting at the Government House.

The Commission members have noted that budget allocations for various types of support of small and medium enterprises (SME) as well as the loans to that sector from the Savings Bank of Russia, Vneshtorgbank, the Development Bank (VEB), and other banks with government participation have been increased.