Dmitry Medvedev: Our national diversity is not just a challenge but the good

“Multi-nationality and multi-confessionalism is a serious advantage of Russian state that made Russia one of the powerful, original and viable countries in the world”, - RF President Dmitry Medvedev said in Yaroslavl at a World political forum "Modern state in epoch of social diversity". President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov is taking part in the event.

Dmitry Medvedev made a speech at a plenary session on the second day of forum. President of Turkish Republic Abdulla Gul, Director-general of UNESCO Irina Bokova, Ex-counselor of USA on national security Zbignev Bzhezinsky, Laureate of Nobel Prize in economy Paul Krugman are participating in plenary session except for Dmitry Medvedev.

At the beginning of his speech Dmitry Medvedev asked attenders to hold a moment of silence in memory of the lost in yesterday’s plane crash in Yaroslavl.

President of Russia stressed that the topic "Modern state in epoch of social diversity" being discussed at World political forum has a practical meaning.

According to RF President a substantial democratic value - a freedom of choice let people form his personality, gives the right to live differently. Dmitry Medvedev is sure that it is one of the most important achievements of modern times. He noted that social diversity started influencing development of democratic states. At the same time social diversity brings new challenges traditional government institutions are only learning to work with. What kind of state we should see today when political life is no longer of a mass nature and the society is dividing into minor groups following their particular interests? Dmitry Medvedev believes that this question is really urgent for Russia. Head of the state reminded that representatives of 180 nations and nationalities live in Russia. “We are a multi-confessional country in the true sense of the word”, - D.Medvedev stressed. By words of RF President this multi-confessionalism was not brought by immigration, it historically formed due to historical development of the state.

Multi-nationality of Russian state arouses a set of questions to be solved. At the same time, it is the advantage of Russia. “Our national diversity is not just a challenge but the good. It helped us finding solutions to complicated problems and made Russia one of the powerful, original and viable countries in the world”, - RF President said.

He emphasized as well that all citizens of the state should keep the law and respect culture of other people notwithstanding their nationality, but ensuring order should not cause national discrimination.

By his words, the state should be diverse, complicated, flexible and clever. It should have far-reaching system of communication with all social groups, event the minor ones. The state should understand its citizens regardless of their culture, education and profession.

D.Medvedev considers that Russia should provide financial and organizational support for non-commercial organizations of any status and give citizens access to information by popularization of Internet and digital TV, improve the system of education and science, supporting the spirit of free creativity at universities, develop all traditional and modern cultures of nations.

Also Dmitry Medvedev told about necessity of modernizing political system in Russia. “Complicated society demands further decentralization, transfer of some powers to public organizations, from federal to regional and municipal levels. This is the way of development of Russian state”, - D.Medvedev said.

“I would like to say that all problems we face in the process of our country’s development will not make us refuse from reaching our goals. We wished and wish to live in a modern democratic state, the state traditionally called the free society of free people, in a world without violence and poverty”, - Dmitry Medvedev stressed.