Putin tells government to use its rainy-day funds 'carefully'

STAVROPOL, Russia (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia's government should "carefully" use its "rainy day" reserve funds now when low oil and other commodity prices have dented budget revenues. "Of course, in these conditions which we are living through now, we must carefully but still use our reserve funds ... first and foremost, the reserves of the government," he told a meetings with activists of The All-Russia People's Front, a pro-Kremlin public movement. "This is just what these reserve funds are meant for - to finance social obligations at a time of economic decline - and this is what we will certainly do," he said during a visit to the Stavropol region in southern Russia. He did not specify what funds he was referring to. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Vladimir Soldatkin)