He summed up yesterday's visit to Yalta in the Crimea, Ukraine, for summitry with the host country's President Leonid Kuchma and a conference with spokesmen of the Russian and Ukrainian business communities.
Mr. Putin called the government not to drop pace in blueprinting importer country indirect taxation. Ukraine, for one, thinks a related decision will promote its interests, he added.
"We shall work at the issue as we are making a united economic environment concept. We have taken a principled decision on that score. Now, please don't get sluggish with the job," said the President.
Ukraine is determined to implement all united environment plans, and has asked him not to forget an emergent free trade zone idea. The Ukrainian government is enthusiastic about it.
President Putin went on to tell the gathering about plans for next year's exercises of Russia's Defence Ministry commandos and airborne troops. Uzbekistan will host the event.
The President held conference with Islam Karimov, his Uzbek counterpart, yesterday, to discuss a bilateral military alliance and military-technological partnership. They came to a final understanding on Russian war games in Uzbek highland training grounds next year, said Mr. Putin.
He also told the conferees about a Civil Service Law he had signed: "I have signed an act to regulate civil service. It concerns all employed in federal and regional ruling and executive bodies, and stipulates everything from civil servants' status to responsibilities."
