MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his Cabinet on Monday to focus on raising living standards when they begin drafting next year's budget.
He said one question should be at the top of their considerations: Who is living a good life now in Russia?
"The answer to this question will not be a very optimistic one," Putin said during a Cabinet meeting, according to ITAR-Tass news agency.
He said the 2003 budget should focus on the country's unresolved problems, such as the still-dismal living conditions facing many Russians, and keep in mind the tasks the government has set for itself such as reforming the unwieldy Russian military, ITAR-Tass reported.
Putin also urged his Cabinet to consider "whether we use foreign policy and foreign economic conditions properly."
Putin just wrapped up a summit with U.S. President George W. Bush where he pressed hard for two major economic moves by the United States that would be a boost to Russia's still-fledgling economy. Russia wants the United States to repeal the 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment, which links privileges coveted by Moscow to the right of Jews to emigrate, and to declare Russia a "market economy."
Putin has expressed optimism that Washington was seriously considering Russia's requests.
This year, Russia is enjoying its first post-Soviet surplus national budget. However, some analysts warn that Russia remains too heavily dependent on exports, such as oil and natural gas, and that Russian industries have failed to match Western enterprises in quality. Foreign investors also frequently complain Russia hasn't done enough to clean up corruption and dismantle excessive bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, Putin also thanked the senior Russian officials who worked to prepare the historic arms agreement that he and Bush signed during the summit.
"Those who worked on the documents signed in the course of the Bush visit have proved grater optimists than myself," Putin said, noting that the documents met the interests of both Russia and the United States, ITAR-Tass reported.