OREANDA-NEWS. December 29, 2009. Next year’s main tasks are modernising the Russian economy, making social policy more effective, and developing Russia’s political system, the President said at a meeting of the Council of Legislators, which is charged with ensuring a common legal environment throughout the country, coordinating lawmaking process and facilitating exchange of experience between the regional legislative assemblies.

After summing up the 2009 results, the President noted that next year will not be easy. The regional legislators need to make serious efforts on the unemployment issue, Mr Medvedev stressed. Investment projects are another important subject.

Among other priorities, the President named regional and municipal elections, the issue of equality between political parties, and social and economic problems in the Caucasus republics.

According to Dmitry Medvedev, the most pressing task now is to close the technological gap. Economic reform is the way out of the crisis, and the President said he is counting on the lawmakers’ support in this most important work.