President Dmitry Medvedev called for the introduction of new controls over spending by some public officials as a way to fight corruption in Russia, which ranks 143rd in Transparency International's corruption index this year.

The UN convention against corruption that Russia signed in 2003 stipulates control over officials’ incomes and spending. Yet, Russian Duma deputies have vehemently refused to include the spending provision in the law.

“In a bid to further combat corruption, I think it is correct to introduce control over spending by public officials in Russia and some officials of the federal-level government agencies in cases when their spending clearly outstrips their incomes,” Medvedev said in his annual address to the newly elected parliament.

The president also proposed extending the list of people whose incomes must be declared.