Plenary session of the Federation Council

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ms Matviyenko, senators of the Russian Federation, colleagues, friends,

First of all, I would like to wish you a happy upcoming New Year.

Both houses of the Russian Parliament are finishing the autumn session with good results. You had a great deal to do. You have adopted a series of important legislative decisions in the interests of the country and our citizens, for strengthening our national security and developing the economy and social sphere.

The outgoing year was especially important for senators also because we marked 25 years since the first profound reform of the Federation Council, as Ms Matviyenko has mentioned just now, one of the largest reforms in state building at the turn of the 21^st century.

I would like to remind you about the essence of that reform. The 1993 Constitution, as you know, but I would like to recall this for us and for our citizens, provided for electing the Federation Council of the first convocation for a two-year term. It was a transitional and temporary decision.

Later, the heads of the regions and legislative assemblies could sit ex officio in both their regional executive posts and within the Federation Council on a personal basis, and I would like to emphasise that they performed their parliamentary duties diligently, professionally and enthusiastically, doing a great deal for the country and for preserving the unity of our state during that difficult period that was transitional in every sense of the word.

The burden on them was considerable, not to mention the fact that holding multiple jobs - governing the regions and adopting federal laws - created a dual status, because the executive and legislative branches are two different things. This also eroded responsibility for the implementation of decisions.

We understand that adopting a law and at the same time being responsible for its implementation creates problems. However, I believe that we managed to address these problems; we solved them because we recognised that it influenced the entire system of government.

To be continued.