“You cannot postpone freedom until later and you should not be afraid that a free man will make inadequate use of his freedom,”

http://rt.com/politics/medvedev-marks-abolition-serfdom/

Although Medvedev is trying to move the country forward, he believes that freedom for the people is what will move Russia forward and not 'tightening screws' as the Western powers would like to see Russia do.
He does allude to the fact the great Russian reformers in the past did a good job in starting the healing process. He was unclear as to whom exactly the past reformers were. The symposium marked the 150 years since the abolishment of serfdom.