Vladimir Putin's opening address:

Let us have a look today at the progress made on the federal targeted programme Electronic Russia. I do not need to mention the crucial importance of this work-it is clearly one of the key fields of innovative development. Effective economic, administrative and social sphere activities depend on it directly-just as education, health services and some other fields.

However, we have not met the main goals of this essential federal target programme yet, and we know why: We have not brought information resources of the many administrative and managerial agencies at their many levels together into an integrated network so far. Our citizens have no relevant stock of online information to exercise their civil rights and duties. They have to queue for hours in front of offices to make inquiries and obtain certificates and other papers.

In the economic field, Russia has made only the first steps to electronic auctions. The topic was raised at a recent meeting at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Today's meeting will analyse everything done in this field. The theme is all the more topical because we will draw the new Electronic Government programme to be implemented before 2015. It is all the more important during the economic and financial crisis because the implementation of relevant instruments will help us to use government resources to greater effect, and will make all our activities more effective.

Let us analyse facts and figures pertaining to what we have done so far, and initiatives you have advanced for the Electronic Government programme. Go ahead, please.