Vladimir Putin's opening address: 

Good afternoon, colleagues,

At the previous meeting of the Presidium of the Council for the Implementation of National Priority Projects we agreed to complete outlining our plans for 2009-2012, taking into account the experience we have accumulated. We are going to develop programmes to implement national projects in education, healthcare and housing.

These spheres are referred to as crucial, both in the Programme of Long-Term Development and in the Guidelines for the Government's Activity until 2012. We need to prioritise them when planning the budget, too. Ensuring sustainable development of these branches, we give the economy extra impetus, helping create new jobs, which is of vital importance now that many other factors of economic growth are becoming objectively less effective.

In the framework of the bailout plan we have allocated 60 billion roubles to boost the Mortgage Agency's authorised capital, which will mean support for mortgage programmes. We are going to invest 21 billion roubles to purchase housing for the military. This year the Housing and Utilities Reform Fund will allocate extra 50 billion roubles to accelerate the process of relocating people from dilapidated housing. It means that not only will we address social problems - I mean relocating people from dilapidated housing and purchasing housing for the military - but will also support the construction industry.

And we certainly need to maintain and develop the positive trends that we achieved in 2006-2008 through the National Priority Projects.

The new programmes launched on their basis must embrace the key reform areas. This means upgrading the education system and introducing modern educational standards; improving the nation's health and reducing mortality rate.

The programmes' developers have submitted proposals on key parameters.

Today we are going to assess to what extent these proposals are realistic and backed by funds. I have already said that good intentions alone are not enough. All figures must be carefully calculated and justified.

We should also determine which measures will be financed from the federal budget, and which will gradually be transferred to the local level.

I would particularly ask you to focus on the new areas in the national priority projects.

For example, there is a new education programme, which stipulates creating a network of national research universities.

We need to adopt a target approach to implementing school teachers' advanced training programme, and promote the best teaching methods.

The problem of nursery schools is becoming more acute. I believe that the Government should take a pro-active stance in this area, cooperating more closely with local administrations. In particular, we need to support municipal authorities applying new methods in preschool education.

As far as healthcare is concerned, we are launching programmes to promote a healthy lifestyle, giving up smoking and alcohol abuse. The system of providing help to cancer patients and patients with cardiovascular diseases will be further developed as well.

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Today we are going to listen to Ministers' reports on the progress in the spheres they are responsible for. I would like to remind you that the drafts of these programmes are to be submitted to the Council for the Implementation of National Priority Projects by the next meeting.

So let's get down to work. Mr Fursenko, go ahead, please.