Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Mr Shokhin.
Alexander Shokhin: Good afternoon, Mr Putin. First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to you on behalf of Russia's leading business organisation. At the beginning of the new working year, we have the opportunity to discuss the results of the previous year and our plans for working with the government, as well as with the legislative branch, of course, including through the majority party in the State Duma.
Since this year will still be very challenging, many RSPP members are drawing up business strategies that focus on post-crisis development and modernisation. It is very important to ensure close cooperation with the government on routine issues, as well as with leading ministries and agencies.
In this regard, I would like to note that we enjoyed this level of cooperation last year.
Vladimir Putin: I also wanted to mention this. The government works regularly within the framework of the Trilateral Commission with both unions and organisations that represent employers.
I'm wondering how you manage to establish these relations during the current recession. Do you think they have been effective?
Alexander Shokhin: You are right when you say that the Russian Trilateral Commission is now the main forum for this interaction. RSPP is the only nationwide organisation of employers in Russia. All other employers' organisations represent specific industries, regions or types of business, e.g. small businesses.
This is why the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs bears the lion's share of responsibilities for coordinating businesses' interests, such as working out a consolidated position and coordinating t with unions and the government.
Since I represent employers at the Trilateral Commission, I can attest that the commission's performance has been very effective. At the government's initiative - and this is very important - we submit for consideration key regulatory acts for discussion. These are not only draft laws but also the government's regulatory decisions, which are often hotly debated. Not all legislation is adopted the first time around. However, we manage to reach compromises. In my opinion, unions cannot complain that the government and employers ignore their viewpoint.
Vladimir Putin: Unions can do so. They're always complaining.
Alexander Shokhin: They do complain. Late last year I heard the unions' leader, Mr Mikhail Shmakov, complain about one of the laws we discussed within the framework of the Russian Trilateral Commission. I cannot help but draw your attention to the fact that the Russian Trilateral Commission very often considers draft decision that the government has formally or virtually approved. In these cases it is not easy for us to compromise and reach a consensus.
We try our best to submit these draft laws to the Duma as soon as we can. But to my mind there is nothing that should prevent us from coordinating these draft laws at earlier stages. With this regard, I would like to ask you to consider the possibility of allowing representatives of the parties, including employers and unions, to report on difficult issues where perhaps no agreement has been reached at government meetings dedicated to issues on the Russian Trilateral Commission's agenda.
Vladimir Putin: The unions' leader, Mr Shmakov, whom you mentioned, attends all government meetings.
Alexander Shokhin: Perhaps, for the sake of fairness, it would not be a bad idea to invite businesses as well.
Vladimir Putin: You've got yourself a deal.
Alexander Shokhin: Thank you. We are drawing up the agenda for cooperation between businesses and the government for this year and for three years ahead, given that a three-year plan is the main mechanism to ensure proper planning in the economy, finance and taxation. We would like to work on this agenda in close cooperation with the leading ministries and agencies.
This autumn we will hold a congress, where we will hear reports, elect new officers, and draw up an agenda for 2010-2012. We have prepared a series of proposals that reflect the position of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Given that we represent the position of the business community when working with other business organisations, we would like to know the position of the government, including that of leading ministers and deputy prime ministers, on these issues before we submit our proposals to the April congress and call the agenda "Cooperation between businesses and the government."
And if you attend in the congress, we could take our relations to the stage that would ensure effective cooperation between the leading Russian companies in the Russian Union and the government. Your address to businesses could certainly set the tone for our relations in this post-crisis year, as well as for three years ahead. According to official forecasts, all quantitative indexes will reach their pervious levels in 2012, and we must consider our companies' development strategies through 2012. However, bringing quantitative indexes up to their former level is only half the battle. As you repeatedly pointed it out, including at the latest United Russia Congress, we must streamline the economy by 2012. Corporate strategies must comply with the government's plans for diversification and modernisation.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Shokhin, thank you very much for this invitation. It is equally important to prepare for this event. The government will try its best to help you prepare for this congress properly.
In a follow-up to your request, I will charge deputy prime ministers and ministers with helping the business community to articulate both its demands and proposals to the government, including the cabinet, basing on our consultations.
Alexander Shokhin: Thank you very much.