Mr Putin called for stepping up the work on the creation of a centrist ideological platform, including the development of Russian political parties, and to buttress the intellectual underpinnings of collaboration between the various branches of government.
He pointed out the successful performance of the Federation Council during a recent change of personnel. The President regarded it as to the personal credit of group members and Speaker Yegor Stroyev.
Mr Putin highlighted the effective cooperation of the State Duma, the Federation Council and the Government in drafting the federal budget for 2002 and in other essential matters.
The Federation Council must find the best possible pattern of combining regional and federal interests, the President said while remarking that there were national interests, but no such thing as the federal centre’s interests.
The meeting determined the legislative priorities of the upper parliamentary house for 2002— judicial, pension and land reforms.
Mr Putin approved a number of the group’s foreign political initiatives—in particular, to establish a joint team of the US Senate and the Federation Council.