Medvedev Delivered Annual Address to Nation

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev delivered his annual address to the Federal Assembly from the Kremlin November 5. One of the highlights was the proposal to extend presidential term to six years and the term of State Duma to five years.

Medvedev also suggested transferring key functions of control over executive bodies to the State Duma. As to the upper house of Russia's parliament, the Federation Council, Medvedev advocated forming it exclusively from the persons elected to representative bodies of authorities and of members of local self-government bodies of the RF consituents.

"The so-called residential qualification, whereby a Federation Council member should reside in a certain region for a definite number of years is to be repealed," the president announced.

The president started his address by emphasizing that the recent year has been the most significant for lots of Russians and the acid test for the country, meaning first of all Georgia's barbarous aggression against South Ossetia and the global financial crisis that is currently gaining momentum.

"The conflict in the Caucasus was used as a pretext for the appearance of NATO's warships in the Black Sea and then, for the accelerated enforcement of America's missile defense systems on Europe," Medvedev said, pointing out that it will entail "retaliatory measures of Russia."

Tskhinvali's tragedy resulted from the U.S. policy that is "selfish, tolerates no criticism and prefers unilateral decision," the president emphasized in his message.

Russia will deploy Iskander missile complex in the Kaliningrad Region to neutralize potential threat of the U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe. Electronic countermeasures against new components of the U.S. missile defense system will be carried out exactly from that region.

Regiments of the missile division in Kozelsk won't be disbanded, Medvedev specified.

As to the global financial turmoil, the president said he was certain that Russia would be able to create independent financial system capable of withstanding challenges and of ensuring the solution of own problems.

"I'm sure we will get over difficulties," the president concluded.

Medvedev blamed the global financial crisis on the United States. When "inflating the cash bubble," the United States failed to coordinate its actions with players of global economies, never listened to the warning of partners. As a result, the damage was caused to all global system. The local problems tend to become universal, so all parties should be responsible, the president pointed out.

Medvedev also cautioned the government's bodies and business community against using economy's turmoil "for settling personal accounts, including by attracting administrative resource." In the current environment, the president went on, losing the reputation would be very easy but reviving it would be very difficult, if ever possible."

"Political freedom and private property of citizens are inviolable," the president pointed out.

Medvedev also voiced some proposals related to political reorganization. He said the parties that gathered from 5 percent to 7 percent of votes at elections should have one or two mandates in the State Duma. But the threshold at the State Duma elections shouldn't be lowered yet, the president said.

By tradition, Medvedev was reading his message to the Federal Assembly before members of both houses of Russia's parliament, government members, chairmen of the Constitutional, Supreme and High Arbitration Courts, the RF Prosecutor General, chairman of the Central Election Commission, chairman of the Audit Chamber, members of the State Council, representatives of main confessions.