In a meeting with President D. Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov in Moscow today, Secretary General Jagland underlined the readiness of the Council of Europe to further provide expert advice and assistance in support of political reforms in Russia.

“We need to further develop political institutions, and reforms are targeted to that end”, emphasised President Medvedev.

Foreign Minister Lavrov expressed the Russian Federation’s firm support to Secretary General Jagland’s reform of the Council of Europe.

President Medvedev and SG Jagland discussed a number of issues, including reform of the Court in Strasbourg and the Council of Europe’s new neighbourhood strategy.

The SG also gave a keynote address at the conference “Euro-Atlantic Community of Security – Myth or Reality”, and also had a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister D. Rogozin.