MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti) - The Public Chamber should focus on creating effective channels of interaction between society and the bodies of power, President Vladimir Putin said Sunday addressing the first plenary session of the Public Chamber.
"The Public Chamber members will have to deal with important new tasks, including the task of creating effective mechanisms of interaction between public organizations and government bodies, considering its functions to conduct public expert studies and exercise public control, and elaborate recommendations for governance bodies," Putin said.
The main thing is to practically achieve the growth of influence, which citizens and public institutions exert on the bodies of power, Putin said.
The Russian president also said he counted on the Public Chamber's assistance in efforts to fight calls for hatred and intolerance.
Putin also said the Public Chamber was expected to play an important role in exercising control over the observance of the freedom of speech in the mass media.
"First of all, you should seek the objective coverage of the country's public life in the mass media and, secondly, to contribute to real independence of the media, the president said.
Putin also said professionalism and competence should be the Public Chamber's main slogans.
The Russian president expressed the hope that the Public Chamber would involve the broad layers of the population in its work.
