The message reads:

Dear friends, agricultural cooperation is an important and promising institution, intended to protect the interests of agricultural producers. Cooperatives play a significant role in the production and trade of agricultural products. They create jobs and help improve the quality of life in rural areas.

With Russia's admission to the WTO, agricultural cooperation should contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of our agriculture. Cooperatives should actively promote Russian products on the domestic and foreign markets, combining the efforts of individual farmers and small and medium-sized businesses. They should build effective partnerships with large agribusiness and adopt modern credit, insurance, and leasing mechanisms.

It is my hope that the congress will help open new opportunities to further develop the cooperative movement in Russia.

Wishing you success, fruitful discussions, and all the best.

Dmitry Medvedev.