Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, Sergei Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow, and representatives from the chambers of the Federal Assembly, congratulated the Accounts Chamber with the chairmanship in INTOSAI. ‘I would like to thank all the members of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions for the unilateral approval of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation as the host of your respected association and today's assembly. We see in this the acknowledgment of the role and professionalism of our Accounts Chamber, appreciation of how the parliament control over the budgetary process is exercised,’ Aleksandr Zhukov, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, said.
The key moment of the ceremony was the passing of the INTOSAI symbol to the Russian Federation, as Aleksei Kudrin received a wooden gavel from H.E. Harib Saeed Al Amimi, the former President of INTOSAI.
‘We see the foundation of our development in the constant dialogue with a view to exchange experiences and best practices. All the aforementioned provides indispensable basis for us. However, today we should focus on the rapidly changing world. We should be ready for the new challenges of our times. The public still expects good performance, reliable reports and unbiased data from us. The relevance of the work of SAIs today is clearly greater than a few decades ago,’ Aleksei Kudrin stated. In his opinion, Russia counts on active engagement with all the members of the organization. ‘I would like to draw your attention to the logo of the Congress. It has been inspired by the works of the great artist, Vasiliy Kandinsky. You see how a complex structure consisting of many elements begins to function as a single mechanism, and the same applies to us, supreme audit institutions, who, united by INTOSAI and faced with new challenges, will be able to find common approaches to continue the efficient work for the benefit of our citizens and the whole international community,’ the new INTOSAI Chair said.