Energy efficiency, in particular production and use of energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) lights, was the subject on the agenda.
According to Mr Chubais, the first Russian LED manufacturing enterprise will be launched in St Petersburg in the middle of 2010. It will employ technologies developed at the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute by Russian scientists who had worked in Finland and Germany and have now returned to St Petersburg.
Mr Medvedev and Mr Chubais discussed the opportunities for making use of the new lights, noting that although LED lights are more expensive than conventional ones they are seven times more energy-efficient and have a service life of dozens of thousands of hours — considerably more than that of ordinary lights.
The President stressed that the decision to phase out incandescent lights in Russia is definite, but it will be implemented gradually and without forcing the situation. Mr Medvedev also noted that the authorities need to make it clear to the business community that decisions concerning advanced technologies and modernisation policies are final and that businesses must adapt to them accordingly.