Putin delivers gov't work report
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E-mail Xinhua, April 12, 2012
Russian Prime Minister and president-elect Vladimir Putin summarized his government's work in the past year Wednesday and outlined priorities for his new term in office as president.
In his fourth and final address to the State Duma, or lower house of parliament, Putin vowed to make his road maps public in his first presidential decree after his May 7 inauguration.
Putin predicts economy, society to thrive
Putin said Russia had completely overcome the global financial crisis and was ready for a new start.
The gross domestic product (GDP) has surpassed the pre-crisis levels, Putin said, adding "this means that our economy has fully overcome the consequences of the recession registered in 2008, 2009 and even 2010."
Russia's state debt was the lowest in the G8 group, he said.
The president-elect also set several strategic and geopolitical tasks for the country, including increasing life expectancy to 75 years, increasing real wages at least by 75 percent by 2020, creating 25 million jobs, developing East Siberia and the Far East and strengthening Russia's global position through Eurasian integration.
Meanwhile, Putin said Russia would advance from its world ranking as a business-friendly environment from the current 120th to 20th.
He also stressed Russia would become one of the five largest economies in the world in the next two to three years.
Putin said his country might admit foreign investors to the defence industry, but stressed the process must be controlled by the government.
At the same time, he welcomed a possibility for Russia's private companies to provide military and security services on the world market.
On Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Putin said it would absolutely boost the country's economy, but warned it might also affect some sensitive sectors, such as agriculture.
Russia would make use of additional instruments to protect the interests of its agricultural producers, he said.
The prime minister also vowed that Russia would become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which would manifest "a global recognition of the quality of Russia's economy and national manufacturers."
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