Opening the Commission's meeting Mr Zubkov said: "The Doctrine addresses the tasks of ensuring sustained development of rural areas, improved land and property legislation, improved quality of life for the rural population, providing incentives for agricultural work and raising the prestige of farm labour."

Mr Zubkov stressed that the key tasks of the Doctrine are keeping up the pace of the sector's development, a steady pace of import replacement and bringing agricultural production to a level that would provide Russians with "vital and high-quality foods."

The Commission approved the draft Doctrine, which will be submitted to the Government within two weeks.