Civil society needs to be supported, strengthened – Putin

MOSCOW. Jan 31 (Interfax) – Russia needs to develop democratic institutes and strengthen civil society, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday to summarize results of the expanded government meeting.

“We have to go beyond the government policy fundamentals until 2018, which have been presented today, so to solve all problems faced by the country and to keep all promises given in our political campaign, primarily, the election campaign,” he said.

“It is necessary to develop democratic institutes of the country, to support and strengthen civil society, to upgrade legal norms in every part of our life, to fight corruption and to reinforce and develop law enforcement authorities,” the president said.

Putin declared the importance of government policy fundamentals until 2018 presented at the government meeting.

“I think today’s document has paramount importance: we can be efficient only if we pool all the available resources, both administrative and financial,” the president said.

Putin thanked the prime minister and ministers for drafting the government policy fundamentals until 2018.