KAZAN. May 20 (Interfax) - Alan Russo, an EBRD political advisor for Russia, has called on Russian public organizations to activate mutually beneficial and information cooperation.

"We are interested in such cooperation," he said at a meeting with representatives of more than 15 public organizations that took place within the framework of an annual meeting of EBRD managing director on Sunday evening in Kazan.

Representatives of the Democracy and Human Rights Development Center, the Pora youth movement, the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers, the Moscow Helsinki Group, regional human rights movements, the Society of Tatarstan's Handicapped, the Agora interregional organization, Russia's Greenpeace and some others took part in the meeting.

Independent civil society plays a leading role in setting up relations between democratic structures and the sustainable development of territories, Russo said. "I am certain that the voice of Russian public organizations, the freedom of speech, the active participation of civil society in such processes are an indispensable part of a successful transition period in Russia," he said.

"The meeting was very successful," the representative of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development told Interfax after the meeting, which lasted more than an hour and a half.

"The dialogue with public organizations was very useful. I am happy about the results. I am optimistic over the future extension of Russia- EBRD cooperation," he said.

Moderator of the meeting, president of the Democracy and Human Rights Development Center Yury Dzhibladze told Interfax that representatives of Russian public organizations presented their ideas "on the main problems, including human rights, the democratic development, environmental issues, the situation with civil society institutions and possibilities of public organizations to influence the development of the country, the decision making

process, as well as public control over investment projects sponsored by EBRD."

Dzhibladze said that Russo knows the situation in Russia well and knows about country's problems, while the bank assumes this in its activity.