The meeting discussed current social and economic development issues facing the country and a number of foreign policy issues.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov reported in particular on the Government’s work on the three-year budget and the adoption of amendments to the Budget Code. The State Duma is expected to approve the new draft of the Budget Code this April, Mr Zhukov said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov reported on preparations for an upcoming meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission. The commission plans to look at increasing production of Russian civilian airplanes, Mr Ivanov said.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reported on the upcoming meeting of foreign ministers representing the members of the Middle East ‘Quartet’. The meeting will take place in Washington (USA).
The President, for his part, gave an assessment of his visit to India, noting that all the goals that were set both in civilian and military cooperation have been reached. Mr Putin noted that also important was the meeting in Vladivostok on preparations for possibly hosting the APEC summit in 2012, and on the Far East region’s comprehensive development.
Summing up the meeting in Vladivostok, Mr Putin said that the plan would be to hold the 2012 APEC summit on Russky Island, near Vladivostok. The work involved in preparing for the summit would help develop the entire Far East region, Mr Putin said.
Mr Putin instructed the Cabinet to draft the project and report on the results. The President stressed the need to respect all environmental standards in any work undertaken on the island and the surrounding marine territory.