By Denis Dyomkin
KRASNOYARSK, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's likely nextpresident Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that freedom, privateproperty and an independent judiciary would be the centralplanks of his administration.
In a speech setting out his programme at an economic forumin Siberia, Medvedev, who has been endorsed by outgoingPresident Vladimir Putin, also called for tax reform to supporteconomic growth.
Speaking later to reporters, he said Russia and the UnitedStates share common values and have no choice but to cooperatewith each other. His remarks contrasted with the forthrightrhetoric Putin often directs towards Washington.
"One of the key elements of our work in the next four yearswill be ensuring the independence of our legal system from theexecutive and legislative branches of power," said Medvedev, afirst deputy prime minister.
"We need to root out the practice of unlawful decisions 'byrequest' or for money."
He also repeated earlier promises to ensure personalfreedoms and an independent and free press.
"We're talking about freedom in all its forms -- personalfreedom, economic freedom, and in the end, the freedom of selfexpression," Medvedev told the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum.
Medvedev, 42, spoke more about the development of socialwelfare projects than international affairs or the resurrectionof Russian military power, themes Putin addresses regularly.
On relations with the United States, Medvedev emphasisedcooperation rather than the two countries' differences overissues such as Kosovo and the U.S. missile defence shield.
"It is necessary that the United States and RussianFederation cooperate ... It is inevitable," he told a group ofregional journalists.
"If before we could ... build walls to insulate ourselves,in today's globalised world, when our states share, in effect,a common set of values, such cooperation should continue."
Medvedev also touched on the need to protect privateproperty. Critics of Putin's administration accuse it offlouting property rights by effectively renationalising privatefirms, especially in the oil sector.
"Respect for private property has to be one of thefoundations of the government's policies," Medvedev said.
"Today more often than not, the government itself is nottaking measures to defend the rights of private propertyholders."
MAKING RUSSIA EFFICIENT
Medvedev said the government should review its tax systemand cut the burden in some areas to ensure that the economy,which last year grew by 8.1 percent, can continue to grow.
"Our tax system must be competitive with tax systems ofother countries. The state should collect as much tax as neededto ensure that society functions effectively and our nationalbusinesses do not flee abroad, the economy doesn't fail."
He repeated Putin's stance that Value Added Tax should becut and called for a reduction of export duties on energyexports to allow oil firms to invest in new facilities.
Energy exporters will in turn need to pledge to switch tothe rouble in their dealings to help it become one of theworld's top currencies, he said.
"Today the global economy is going through uneasy times.People are reviewing the roles of key reserve currencies. Andwe must take advantage of it... The rouble will de facto becomeone of the regional reserve currencies," he said.
Russia's banking system, which experienced a liquiditycrisis last year in step with global markets, can also count onsupport from the National Wealth Fund and the pension fund.
But the role of officials should diminish when it comes tomanaging large government-owned corporates.
"I think there is no reason for the majority of stateofficials to sit on the boards of those firms. They should bereplaced by truly independent directors, which the state wouldhire to implement its plans."
(Writing by Chris Baldwin and Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing byCatherine Evans)
