Dmitry Medvedev’s opening remarks:

You might be surprised, but the government is working on the budget. Of course, the proposals on the guidelines for the budget policy for 2013 and the planning period of 2014-2015, which our respected expert institutions have submitted are really very important for the government, especially considering the current complex situation. We view your assessments, including those in the report of the Higher School of Economics, at least as an indicator of expert attitude towards our priorities and our approaches to drafting the state budget for the next few years. We want to know what you consider to be the right direction and what seems to be off and so should be adjusted. In fact, this is why we are here today.

We would like to hear your opinions about our approaches to budget revenues and spending in the main areas of activity, including in the social sphere and in the economy (in the narrow meaning of the word), as well as in other areas. I believe that this would be logical now that we are at the height of the budget process. We have a few days of respite, which could even last a week, after which we will resume our discussions of these issues in order to finalise our proposals on the federal budget.

This is probably all I wanted to say; in fact, I’d like to listen to your opinions. However, there is one more thing: I will most likely sign a document on an extended expert council in the Open Government format today. It will be a large group of professionals. I hope that all of the experts selected for the council will work actively and energetically. It’s good that we have done this, although frankly speaking, we should have done it awhile back because the government has been at work for three months already.

Let’s start working.

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