In Kremlin President, Duma Associations' Leaders Ponder Short-Term Work Prospects

At the present moment, President Vladimir Putin, State Duma speaker Gennadi Seleznev and leaders of Duma associations are having a meeting in the Kremlin. Opening up, the president proposed to consider, among other things, a work plan for the lower parliamentary chamber in the near future. Putin noted that in the second and third readings deputies will have to debate on the judicial reform and papers on "the fate of pension accumulations", as well as a draft budget for the next year. Speaking of the Duma work on the draft budget, the head of state stressed that "there is a worry concerning average-term development of the world economy and the dynamics of prices on energy-carriers". This is to be taken into account in work on the draft budget, he pointed out. The head of state reminded them that these questions were in discussion between him and the president of Venezuela, Ugo Chavez /his country now chairs the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries/, and at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shanghai.