Medvedev calls for continued economic growth

As oil prices fall to their lowest in 13 months, fears of recession in Russia continue to grow. President Dmitry Medvedev has called a meeting with the cabinet's economic bloc and heads of country's largest banks.

“It's important the measures undertaken should help to not only ease the tense situation, but also retain the pace of economic growth. I mean industry, agriculture, transport, development and trade,” Medvedev stated at the meeting.

This is the fourth meeting between the president and the government's economic bloc in a month.

Taking part in the meeting were:

• First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov;
• Head of the Presidential Experts Directorate Arkady Dvorkovich;
• Deputy Regional Development Minister Sergei Gruglik;
• Ministers: Alexei Kudrin (finances), Tatyana Golikova (health), Alexei Gordeyev (agriculture), Igor Levitin (transport), Elvira Naibullina (economic development) and Viktor Khristenko (industry and energy);
• Bank heads: Sergei Ignatyev (Central Bank of Russia), German Gref (Savings Bank), Andrei Akimov (Gazprombank), Andrei Kostin (VTB), Vladimir Dmitriyev (Vneshekonombank).