At a regular Kremlin meeting, President Putin and members of the Government discussed the fight against terrorism and the settlement in Chechnya. In his opening address, Mr Putin said that terrorists would not thwart the settlement and the efforts to strengthen the Russian state.
The meeting discussed certain problems of national economic development. Mr Putin instructed the Government to prepare for making the defence order for 2003 in January.
He said that Russian gas exports to Turkey through the Blue Stream pipeline started on December 29, and that the project had fine prospects for extension.
See also
Excerpts from Opening Remarks at a Meeting with Government Members
December 30, 2002