MOSCOW: Russia President Vladimir Putin says the country needs to improve anti-corruption measures and address both low-level bribery and high-level graft.

In a meeting with his cabinet on Tuesday, Putin said the country's law enforcement bodies need to work more effectively to recover assets stolen from government coffers, adding that of the 15.5 billion rubles ($200 million) that should have been returned, only 558 million ($7.2 million) was recovered.

The Russian government frequently comes under criticism from international bodies, opposition politicians and local activists for its endemic corruption. Putin did not address the steady barrage of accusations during his speech, though he did say Russia's anti-corruption measures adhere to international standards.