Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Friday an "all-out" effort to address human rights problems highlighted by a report from the 46-nation Council of Europe.
At a meeting in the Kremlin, Putin welcomed the 140-page report presented to him by the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, Alvaro Gil-Robles.
"I think it is a fairly objective text," Putin told reporters ahead of closed-door talks with Gil-Robles.
"I assure you that we will take its conclusions into account and that over the next two years we are going to work all-out, not just in response to your report, but to change the situation in areas that you are concerned with," Putin told reporters.
"I am satisfied that you have noted the progress Russia has made in the past 10 to 15 years. But I repeat there are problems that we must pay close attention to. We are pretty critical of these problems but only if they are real problems."
After the meeting, Gil-Robles said he believed that Putin's pledges would be followed through.
"This time, I have the impression that at a very high level the decision was made to do things seriously," he said in an interview with AFP, noting an overall change of attitude in Russian authorities.
"What struck me is that for the first time Russia has accepted such a report without a knee-jerk rejection," he said. "If it is the start of a new trend, then ... it is very positive.
The report, published this spring, highlights the human rights situation in Chechnya, appalling prison conditions, along with corruption and violence within the law enforcement agencies.
"There has been progress in some domains and efforts need to be made in others," Gil-Robles said.
Friday's meeting came after Amnesty International on Wednesday said that Russian and Chechen forces are committing serious human rights abuses in Chechnya with "virtual impunity."
At the news conference, Gil-Robles thanked Putin for supporting his work, but stated: "There are still some problems, Mr. President, and these problems need to be worked on."