Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has started his own video blog on the official Kremlin website. It’s the latest phase of his drive to make maximum use of modern technology across Russia, which includes the introduction of internet access in all schools.

Good day, Dear Friends!

This is the first time I have spoken to you through my website. I've never used this form of communication before.

I would like to talk about some urgent and thorny problems that are facing the world today.

On October 8, 2008, the French city of Evian will host a conference in which the heads of many European countries will participate. For my part, I am going to present my vision and ideas on how modern global problems should be solved.

Each of us needs reliable security guarantees and mutual trust.

It's vitally important for us and the whole world to be able to live and develop. The people on the planet want to be sure that they and their children will have a decent future.

They want to work peacefully and use the benefits of civilisation. They want to communicate with each other, they want to be heard and understood.

Therefore, my fellow-politicians and I are obliged to find answers to the most complicated issues. As I've said many times, the old security system has proven to be absolutely ineffective.

The existing agreements have stopped reflecting the true situation in the world. This is confirmed by the events in Iraq, Kosovo, the Caucasus, Afghanistan and many other conflict regions. The problems of international politics and the crisis of the world financial system are pressing for undelayable joint actions. It's absolutely clear that the time has come for new decisions.

It was during my trip to Berlin back in June that I first mentioned a new European security treaty. Since then I've had many meaningful discussions on the urgency of this document with leading world politicians – my colleagues.

I am sure that now we should be moving further to discussing the concrete positions of this treaty. It's exactly this subject, and the need to search for joint answers to the global economic upheaval, that I am going to discuss in Evian.

President of Russia Video Blog