Measures to develop the national high-tech sector were the main theme of the State Council Presidium session held in Nizhny Novgorod. High-tech must become a powerful impetus both for economic growth and for modernizing administration in Russia, declared Mr Putin at the session.
The head of state called for increasing the share that information technology occupies in the country's GDP and eliminating inequality between the regions in this field.
Vladimir Putin promised state support for domestic IT companies and is in favour of quickly developing measures to attract Russian and foreign investors to the high-tech sector.
Following the session the President gave a number of orders. The President set the government the task of resolving problems concerning the establishment of a venture fund in 2006, using a digital signature, and returning to the customs regime of temporary imports for IT companies working with foreign partners.