President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Good day dear colleagues!
Today our meeting will treat a range of economic issues. First of all, we'll talk about the investment strategy for the National Prosperity Fund. As you know, we have a set of financial instruments to which resources from the Fund may be allotted. We now need to think about expanding the Fund’s investment opportunities to various instruments, including foreign and Russian companies.
The Budget Code stipulates that the Fund is intended to co-finance pension savings and to generally support the pension system. Of course, to be able to do so the Fund must be invested in secure instruments. This is clearly the most important thing to consider when administering the National Prosperity Fund.
In order that these functions be properly implemented, we shall probably have to create a special financial structure. As I understand it, the Ministry of Finance has already made some suggestions on this topic. We will be hearing about and discussing them today.
In addition, by the 1st of October 2008 we need to prepare drafts of all the legislation needed to deal with this issue so that we can consider and approve them.
That is the plan for today’s economic discussions. Let's get to work.