Preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi were the main item on the meeting’s agenda. Mr Putin stressed that funds allocated for building Olympic facilities must be spent rationally and under no circumstances must be embezzled.
The President intends to ask the Prosecutor General’s Office to set up a working group to ensure security for the Olympics and monitor construction of the Olympic facilities.
Mr Putin asked the Government to work speedily on the issue of bringing in foreign partners to take part in building the facilities for the 2014 Games.
First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov informed the President about his visit to Uzbekistan.
Mr Ivanov reported, in particular, on plans for the Chkalov Aviation-Industrial Enterprise in Tashkent to become part of the United Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation.
Negotiations with Uzbekistan on the possibility of the country taking part in work at the international uranium enrichment centre in Angarsk and joining in the Caspian gas pipeline project were also discussed at the meeting.
At Mr Putin’s request, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin gave his assessment of the three-year budget, which passed its third reading in the State Duma last week.
The President said he hoped that the adoption of this budget, which covers around 97 percent of state spending for a three-year period, would have a positive impact on the country’s economy.