The President said that despite the increased funds allocated to local budgets from the federal budget, the municipal authorities should look for ways to both increase the revenues of local budgets and to improve the quality of public services.
After having gone through a rather difficult consolidation phase, local self-government has already established itself as a serious resource for the country's future development. The President considers this to be compelling evidence in favour of the policy to increase the self-reliance and powers of the local authorities, a policy that rests on traditions that were but in place before the revolution in October 1917. Strengthening local self-government will make the country's entire system of governance much more effective.
The mayors of Russian cities and towns, the heads of municipal councils from all 84 Russian regions, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitrii Medvedev and Regional Development Minister Dmitrii Kozak participated in the national congress.
The all-Russia association of municipalities whose abbreviated title is the National Congress of Municipalities is an organisation that has the legislative power to express and protect the common interests of the municipalities of the Russian Federation.