Russia has reached political consensus and economic stability in 1999, which are the main results of the outgoing year, said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on December 25.

Speaking at an enlarged meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Railways, Putin noted "Positive changes have taken place in Russia's economic and political areas. Particularly, a political consensus has been reached in society, which was shown by the elections to the State Duma (the lower chamber of the Russian parliament)."

Stressing macroeconomic stabilization has been achieved in 1999, the premier admitted that the potential of economic stabilization has also been exhausted after the 1998 crisis and"it is a material production model that can serve as a real and durable basis for stabilization now."

He said the Railway Ministry and the Power Ministry "have played the key roles in Russia's economic success in 1999."

"The railway transport, the Gazprom (the biggest natural gas company in Russia), the Unified Energy Systems of Russia as well as other well-known monopolies do much to preserve uniform Russian statehood. They constitute the core of Russia's uniform economic expanse," Putin said. (Xinhua)