MOSCOW, Nov. 03 (MNA) � The sixth UN conference against corruption began on Monday its deliberations with a minute's silence in memory of the 224 victims of the air crash from last Saturday in Egypt.


The most important anti-corruption forum will be held until Friday at the premises of Lenexpo, the biggest exhibition complex in St. Petersburg.

Official representatives of many countries, parliamentary delegations, non-governmental organizations, businessmen and journalists gathered this week around an anti-corruption agenda and collective action to eliminate this global scourge.

In the opening remarks, the head of the Kremlin administration Sergei Ivanov read to the participants a message of greetings of President Vladimir Putin.

Putin emphasized that corruption is one of the most serious problems affecting all States without distinction, as destabilizing factor of national economies and catalyst of social tensions.

Only joining efforts can we effectively counteract this common problem for us, said Putin in his message.

Precisely, the agenda of the sixth session of the UN is focused on international cooperation of the states and the business community in the fight against corruption.

In an outline of the inner panorama, the head of the presidential administration Sergei Ivanov said that the opinion polls highlight a positive assessment in recent years by the Russian citizens of the government anti-corruption measures.

Ivanov illustrated that after a review of 1,500,000 declarations of assets in the first half of 2015 four thousand people were subjected to disciplinary action and 272 employees were laid off, double the figure than in the same period of 2014.

In the administration of President -he pointed out- 8,500 employees, among ministers, governors, federal judges and other public employees of all the levels are being reviewed, he said.

Russia was able to return some 8,500,000 rubles (just over 115,900 dollars at current exchange rate) for the concept of assets transferred abroad by illicit means, said Ivanov, adding that the number of funds frozen abroad is much higher.

By Mehr News Agency