OREANDA-NEWS. April 9, 2009. Vladimir Putin met with Yevgeny Primakov, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.

Transcript of the start of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Mr Primakov, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry is organising a number of events which I have been invited to. What will you be planning?

Yevgeny Primakov: First of all, I want to say that the current discussion of the anti-crisis programme and economic issues has been very productive. You were quite right to launch this public discussion.

It is yet another indicator of the development of openness in Russia. It reached its peak with your address to the State Duma. I don't think the debates should end at that-there are too many essential issues to discuss. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry is one of the places for such discussion.

We are grateful for your decision to meet with the Chamber's Board. Its members, who come from every part of Russia, will talk to you about their views and opinions.

It is extremely important to learn once again what the Government intends to do in the present situation. We know the essentials but we would like to discuss some matters in greater detail.

Vladimir Putin: Good. I have recently met with you in a wider context while the Government was holding conference with representatives of political parties and public organisations. I know your proposals, and we have tried to implement some of them in the measures I described in parliament. Be that as it may, I agree with you that we should analyse what is going on and check our efficiency with practical developments as our benchmark. We will correct our measures accordingly.

Yevgeny Primakov: Mr Putin, it will be a considerably newaudience-not members of Parliament but businessmen and managers from every part of Russia. They represent practically all of the 173 territorial Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Vladimir Putin: Very good.