Russia's four priority national projects - focused on healthcare, education, agriculture and housing - should be adapted to the modernization process, President Dmitry Medvedev has said.

"We have decided not only to continue working on national projects, but also to adapt them as much as possible to the processes of modernization that are currently underway in the country," the Russian head of state said, speaking at a meeting of Council on National Projects on Thursday.

In his opening speech, Medvedev noted that in the last four years, significant changes have been achieved in all the four priority projects: modern healthcare, affordable housing, quality education and agricultural development. However, a lot more should be done in coming years.

A decrease of energy consumption is one of the priorities. The law on energy conservation should become "a new style of conduct" for budget-funded organizations, not an "abstract theme," he said, as cited by Itar-Tass.

Medvedev recalled that the energy conservation legislation commits the companies on the state payroll to annually decrease the consumption of energy resources by 3 per cent, and purchase energy conservation equipment.

"It is necessary for every budget-funded organization to understand why they have to do it," he said.

"Everybody must learn to save money," Medvedev underlined.

"What is energy effectiveness in school? Certainly not just tick marks in accounting. We must realize that a decrease in energy consumption at a school, say by 30 per cent, means additional money that can be used to resolve other tasks, such as procurement of textbooks or equipment," he maintained.

The president's speech was followed by reports on what has been achieved so far and what is planned next by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Zhukov, presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich, Minister of Education and Science Andrey Fursenko, Minister of Health and Social Development Tatyana Golikova and other officials.

While some results reached as part of the national projects sounded impressive, the president expressed his dissatisfaction with the way officials presented their speeches. He urged them to focus on problems rather than boast of achievements.

"To be honest, I am bored to death with these reports. In the future we should not hold the Council meetings this way - everyone is saying the same things," Medvedev said, cites Interfax agency.

Among the practical steps that should be taken as soon as possible is to provide housing for young scientists. Medvedev urged Zhukov and Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin to sort out this issue actively "for the sake of the country's future." He iterated his earlier order - given to the Russian Academy of Science and Ministry of Regional Development - to provide 5,000 scientists with proper living conditions. However, both bodies have failed to report on fulfillment of the task.