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October 18, 2007
Excerpts from Transcript of the Direct Line with the President of Russia Live Television and Radio Broadcast
[DJ: Continuation of transcript. Earlier section in JRL #219, October 22]
QUESTION (Botlikh, Dagestan): Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich!
Haybulla Ahmedalievich Haybullaev from Botlikh.
In 1999 we fought the militants lead by Basayev and Khattab with hunting rifles, and some of us were unarmed. You could say that we were part of the militia then, but our status, the status of militiamen, is not fixed by law.
ILYA KANAVIN: You fought then?
ANSWER: Yes. For us, this is a significant issue, because it's a question of pensions, benefits and many other things. Can you help resolve this issue?
Vladimir Vladimirovich, there's something else that's just as important for us. It's been eight years, but it's painful to watch as one Caucasian republic after another becomes unstable. First it was Chechnya, now it's Ingushetia, and there are troubles in Dagestan. It makes us wonder when order will finally return to the Northern Caucasus and when will peace and quiet rule where we live?
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: First of all, about the status and the hunting rifles. When I went there, I frankly did not see hunting rifles in the hands of your men, or perhaps in your hands. I saw hand-held machine guns, grenade launchers and other automatic weapons, and men were all bound up with machine-gun tape, like the revolutionary sailors in 1917. But I know that some people did fight with hunting rifles. That really did happen.
With regard to status: I can't tell you now how quickly and to what extent we can deal with these problems, but I promise you that I will certainly instruct the government to look into this. And I think this is only fair, because I have seen people in Moscow clinics and in the south of the country who have greatly suffered at the hands of international terrorists. We must also take care of these people on an individual basis.
Now, with regard to the situation in the south and in the Caucasus as a whole. Of course we have to say straight out that the situation is far from satisfactory. However, you and I know that the situation has completely changed since 1999. In the final analysis, the terrorists, the people who are trying to inflame the situation in the Caucasus, have no chance, and the sentiment of the people there is the proof. This is the ultimate answer to your question about "when will order finally return". Of course you know that a great deal has happened as a result of the federal authorities' attempts to resolve social problems, employment problems, and so on.
But much of the unrest is initiated abroad, by the so-called international terrorist centres. We will step up our federal efforts. We have created an Anti-Terrorist Centre, and it operates much more efficiently than the collection of federal agencies did in the mid-90s. The consistent decline in the number of terrorist acts is proof of that. In 2005, there were somewhere in the vicinity of 250, I think; in 2006, it was only a hundred and something, 130, I think. In the first eight months of this year, 25 of them have been identified. These are not hyped-up figures, they're real, but there are still a number of disturbing things. All the same these raids still occur and people are dying. I want to reiterate that the federal centre will build on these efforts, including the deployment of our armed forces, the way we did where you are in Botlikh.
That said, I want to point out that the most important guarantee of success in the fight against this contagion is the attitude of local citizens.
Think of what is happening in the Chechen Republic. There things are not so poignant anymore, because people are fed up with confrontation and bloodshed, and they have already had a taste of normal human life and of a better future.
I am very much counting on achieving this in other regions of the North Caucasus and of southern Russia in general in the near future. The people must reject any kind of extremism, not to mention terrorism. Success in resolving these problems depends on our overall relationship with you.<...>
FATIMA ALIYEV: Fatima Aliyev, Botlikh, Dagestan.
Hello, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!
You visited Botlikh in the darkest days of August 1999. It was a horrible time. Your visit meant a lot to us, and we felt your support and concern. That meant a lot to us then. Thank you very much. The people of Dagestan will never forget it. Then you saw the demolished villages and the burned fields. Come for a visit now and you will see how everything has changed, and see how our region has been transfigured and improved.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, as someone who lives in the mountains and a mother, I would like to say the following. Please tell me how the problem of youth employment in the region will be resolved, so that they don't go off into the woods with the bandits but stay to work and earn a salary? Are the federal authorities going to examine the issue of jobs in the Caucasus?
There's something else: I can't leave unmentioned a very important issue for Botlikh and other mountainous regions, and that is the Makhachkala-Botlikh road. The rebuilding of this road and the road tunnel has been delayed. We would like you to help us resolve this problem that affects us all.
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I was on the point of asking you about the construction of the road, but you are way ahead of me.
In deciding on the deployment of a mountain brigade, from the beginning we assumed - and it was a joint decision with your leaders -- that the infrastructure should be developed and all the people who live there should benefit from it.
I promise you that we shall without question see this matter through to the end, without question. There will be a road and the tunnel will be built, along with the development of the social infrastructure.
I think we also talked about building schools and clinics, because the funds that go into the local budget from various activities in the Botlikh region are sufficient to meet these challenges. And we said that this is how we'll proceed: the money will be aimed primarily at addressing social challenges.
As for job creation, this is now the key challenge for southern Russia, especially for the North Caucasus. We don't have many special-purpose federal programmes for the regions. For southern Russia the emphasis is on job creation in the republics of the northern Caucasus. As you know, one of the ideas is to create special tourist zones, and this will bring about a whole range of benefits for Russia as a whole. I am really counting on the creation of such zones in the republics of the North Caucasus, including Dagestan. But of course we cannot stop there. We must build on traditional industries and create new ones. We made allowance for this in the context of the special-purpose federal programmes.<...>
NIKOLAI KOSHCHEV (Tatarstan, Kazan): Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! Nikolai Koshchev, state employee.
Like you, I don't belong to a political party, and like you I voted for United Russia. But in the last election you weren't on the party's electoral list. In your opinion, how does the upcoming election compare?
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Thank you.
First of all, I want to welcome you and say that I envy you standing there where you are now because I love the Kremlin in Kazan. It's a beautiful place. I always have a special feeling when I go to Kazan, to Tatarstan. I like it not only because it's beautiful, but because it's a very good example of coexistence, not just peaceful but fraternal coexistence of different cultures and religions. Here's what a journalist just said: we are here beside a mosque and an Orthodox church that was built under Ivan the Terrible. Indeed, the government of the republic had a choice whether to raze the church in this venerable place and build a mosque. In fact, they handled it differently: they preserved the church and built the mosque. [Tatarstan President] Mintimer Shaymiyev says it is the biggest mosque in Europe, but I still think the biggest mosque in Eastern Europe is in St Petersburg. (By the way, in St Petersburg it's called the Tatar mosque.) But it's obvious that the Kremlin in Kazan is one of the most beautiful and perhaps one of the biggest. And it constitutes a very visible proof of the soundness of the development strategy chosen by the republic's leaders, relying on the cooperation of everyone who lives there to strengthen the Federation as a whole.
Now, with regard to your question about United Russia: Nikolai, I did say at a United Russia assembly that I was not a member of a political party, but that I was ready to lead, and I did give my consent to heading the United Russia electoral list. Why?
You will remember the early 1990s. With a dysfunctional parliament, a dysfunctional Duma, it was impossible to make the slightest adjustment to any ruling that was made. The result was populist decisions that drove the country's economy and social sphere into a blind alley. And as a matter of fact not a single decision the Duma took could be located in the jet stream of economic or social development.
At the same time the Duma made decisions that devalued everyone's income. They were populist decisions taken about the government's various social obligations. It was impossible to implement them, because they cost several times more than the budgetary revenues.
In 2007 and 2008 there will be parliamentary and presidential elections. A new person will occupy the Kremlin. In these circumstances it is essential for the state to maintain its steady course of development, to maintain continuity in the implementation of the decisions that have been taken recently.
I have already spoken of national projects for the development of agriculture, health care, education, the Armed Forces and on many other fronts. Take housing and public utilities, or replacing dilapidated facilities, or the development of innovative industries: here we haven't simply made certain decisions. What have we done? We have set aside public resources for many years to come to implement these goals. What if a bunch of people breeze in who do not care about these decisions? It's very easy to redirect those resources, to distribute evenly between the country poulation, to reduce gold reserves, for example, and I can tell you what this would mean for the country. We would destroy the whole positive set of tools that enable us to grow and that are crucial for the country's future development.
It is therefore essential that after the elections in 2007 the parliament be operational. United Russia has been the key element in making parliament operational in recent years. That is why I decided to head its list.<...>
LEAH HUSAINOVA (Kazan, Tatarstan): Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich!
I'm in graduate school and my name is Leah Husainova. In addition to my research activities in the future I would also like to study languages. Your German is excellent and you speak English. Recently in a speech in Guatemala you spoke French. With all the different things you have to do, with your extremely busy schedule, how do you find time to study languages?
Thank you very much.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I must confess that I don't feel particularly gifted in this regard. Until I went to Germany and lived in that linguistic environment, I didn't speak the language well. But I spent five years there and was in constant contact with our German colleagues and German friends. After five years even someone with modest linguistic abilities can master a foreign language. They can teach bears in a circus to ride a bicycle, but for us that is nothing special. Neither is what I did, all the more so because I was living there.
With regard to English, I only study it from time to time, for 10-15 minutes at a time, but fairly regularly. What do I use it for? Of course not to speak at international gatherings in a foreign language -- incidentally, it's better to speak in one's own language at international gatherings; let the others learn Russian -- but in normal working relations with colleagues there should be no language barrier. It is not always possible to talk about everything with an interpreter present.
With regard to French, it was at the request of some members of the International Olympic Committee. As a sign of respect for French-speaking countries, including French-speaking Africa, they simply asked me to say a few words in French. Some believe that I did it, but to say that I am fluent in French, this is simply not the case. I just learned a sentence or two to show consideration and respect for the French-speaking members of the International Olympic Committee.
But on a broader scale a foreign language is not just a gateway to communication, it's a gateway to the culture of another people. It is very interesting, it opens up a whole world. In fact, having a second language is like living another life. Of course now that Russia has become an open country, we need to work at the study of foreign languages, and we will do so.
SERGEI BRILYOV: But in addition to it there was the speech you gave in Tatar in Kazan, Vladimir Vladimirovich, that was longer than the one in French in Guatemala.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Regarding the speech in Tatar, it was also given as a sign of respect for the Tatar people, the second largest nation in our country. There are five million people who said in the census that they consider themselves Tatars.
I think there are one and a half million of ethnic Tatars in Tatarstan, or about two million. All the other ethnic Tatrs live in other regions of the Russian Federation. Incidentally, this should be borne in mind when we work out federal relations. What do I mean by that? We cannot allow certain regions to have special privileges. For example, why should Tatars living in Tatarstan enjoy better economic conditions than Tatars living in Moscow, St Petersburg or in other cities of the Russian Federation? All citizens of the Russian Federation, wherever they live, should enjoy the same economic and social rights.<...>
YEKATERINA ANDREEVA: We also have questions today via the internet, sent to the Hot Line site at www.president-line.ru. We have already received a enormous number of questions. Now you can see how they rated in terms of popularity.
Here's one, chosen at random from the site: "Dear Mr President! Like many, I am interested in the programme for the return of Russian nationals. Unfortunately here in Germany there is very little information about where to go for specific information. I would like to know more about the possibility of the quickest possible return to Russia."
This man went to Germany from Kazakhstan. And he writes that this is not the best time to be in Germany. He would very much like to return to Russia with his family, to be a citizen of this great country.
"Thank you very much. Andrei Nagorny, Koblenz-Rostock."
VLADMIR PUTIN: I have already talked about the resettlement programme in the Russian Federation for fellow nationals. I don't know how advantageous it will be for those living in European countries, for two reasons. Firstly, because as I was saying we have now chosen twelve pilot regions. And these are mostly in eastern Russia, east of the Urals and in the Far East.
Secondly, by way of initial support there is a lump sum of 60 thousand rubles. Then there's a monthly allowance for those who have not received or cannot find work immediately. There are other forms of support. But I would reiterate that it is difficult to say whether this will be advantageous for people living in European countries. Yet I can say for sure that we will seek to remove administrative barriers to obtaining residence permits and citizenship in the Russian Federation.<...>
NATALIA PLOTNIKOVA (Sochi): Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich!
My name is Natalia Plotnikova. I own a restaurant.
First, I want to thank you for the role you have played in our city's destiny. We are very glad that we won. But since our victory real estate prices have skyrocketed. And there's another issue. We are all perfectly aware that for the next seven years our city will become one large construction site. And how will Sochi's inhabitants survive these years? Because we all know that the well-being of local residents depends on the flow of vacationers. Who wants to go to a large building site to relax? What are we to do? What assistance can we expect from the government?
One last question: will they close the city completely during this time, as some people are saying?
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: No, of course no one is going to close the city.
As for construction on such a large-scale, and how it will affect life in the largest resort in Russia, people's incomes and the revenues of Sochi's sanatoria, these are certainly issues that deserve special attention.
There is something in this regard that I would like to draw to your attention. I have already talked about plans to spend 12 billion dollars on the development of the resort of Sochi and the capital of the Olympic Games in 2014. I want to draw your attention to the fact that two thirds of this will be spent on the development of infrastructure: roads, tunnels, electricity, water and sewerage. As a resort Sochi desperately needs all of these things. And if we do this - and I am confident that we will do it without fail - the influx of tourists, the influx of vacationers in Sochi will multiply many times, just as, I hope, the revenues of the businesses that are taking care of the vacationers' needs will increase. I am sure that vacationers and tourists from abroad will come to Russia.
Will there be any difficulties for people who want to holiday in Sochi if they arrive in the midst of the construction? I don't think so, because all these infrastructure projects should not prevent the arrival of tourists who are on holiday. Look, between the Adler airport and the city centre there is a bit of repair work on the roads. In principle I suppose it will affect circulation a little, but in general it won't obstruct movement on these routes. And the new routes will be built so that they don't interfere with any movement on this particular one.
But without sewerage can we talk about a normal existence for Sochi's residents and vacationers? We will never make the city a holiday destination for Russians if we do not resolve the basic issues involved in supplying electricity. Indeed, every winter there are power outages in the mountains. You and I both know about this. So we need all this construction anyway.
Now as for what is directly related to sports facilities: on this we intend to spend a little more than 10 percent of all the money to be invested in the development of Sochi. Where will the facilities be built? One site will be close to the airport and the others in the mountains. Vacationers don't go there now. The first facility will be built from scratch, on a brand new site. Therefore, the most part the builders can't get in anyone's way. I am sure that this will not affect the viability of the resort.
As for the price of land, yes, we definitely should have anticipated this. Of course I personally knew that land prices would increase many times. We have now passed a law concerning the Olympics that will result in changes to some other legislation. All land-use issues should be resolved taking into account the interests of the people who live there, but in the framework of existing legislation and without speculation.
SERGEI BRILYOV: Just now, we actually have a number of Olympic installations with which we have established a direct link-up.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Sergei, I'm sorry to interrupt you. I am looking at a line on the screen. Where is that from?
SERGEI BRILYOV: It's text messages. <...>
[VLADIMIR PUTIN]: "Will the CIS come to resemble the EU?" I don't think so. Regarding the Eurasian Economic Community, in which there are six states, I have already spoken about this: we have taken the first step towards this, I mean the agreement on the establishment of a Customs Union.
"What do you need to become president?" You must take part in the presidential election and win it.
Now: "What is your favorite soccer club? " I root for the Russian Federation national team.
Sorry, we're digressing. SERGEI BRILYOV: When you just said that, I ...
VLADIMIR PUTIN: ... These questions turned out to be interesting.
SERGEI BRILYOV: We were talking about the "Olympic cluster". We have now been in touch with Sochi, but we have one more ...
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Here's a very important question: "Will you increase the retirement age?" I think there is no need to raise the retirement age in the Russian Federation.<...>
QUESTION (Sochi): Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello!
My name is Roman, I am a student in high school number eight. I am concerned about the following: which of the issues of public importance that you have had to resolve during your presidency seemed to you the most difficult?
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: The most difficult is of course the fight against poverty, but I must point out that we are gradually resolving this problem. Today it is not just the fight against poverty but a situation in which there is a very large disparity between the incomes of those whom we consider the rich in Russia, and those we consider people with low incomes. This is the greatest challenge today. How can we face this challenge? In a broad sense can it be resolved? Of course, we can raise the salaries of military personnel, the wages of state employees, doctors and so on, and support the development of small and medium-sized businesses. We must strive to ensure that the middle class continues to grow. The trend is clearly positive. We must attend to this constantly. And we will do so without fail in the future. <...>
VASILY KORETSKY (Krasnaya Polyana): Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich!
Vasily Pavlovich Koretsky, resident of Krasnaya Polyana, retired.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, I have a specific question about construction sites. We are currently building an enormous number of Olympic sites, mostly in Krasnaya Polyana. Foreigners and Russians are building these facilities. But as a resident of Krasnaya Polyana, Russia, I believe that for the general good the majority should be built by Russians. I believe that the money should stay here in Russia and then we will learn how to build and there will be jobs.
Thank you very much.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Thank you very much for your question. I think that all of us, and I include myself in this, welcome the sort of economic patriotism that you have just articulated. But I think that you will agree with me as well: for you and for those who live in Krasnaya Polyana, and even more so for the hundreds of thousands of our citizens who will come to enjoy these facilities, what is important is the question of quality. In the modern economy, there are disadvantages and advantages. In any event, open competition is a significant advantage. I think that we should give the right to work on building the necessary facilities for the Olympics to companies that offer us the best quality and the lowest price. And we will take this route. Of course Russian construction companies have acquired very considerable experience in recent years. They have mastered the latest technology and have all the advantages in terms of market presence, because they know best how to perform all sorts of tasks in the territory of the Russian Federation. Let them profit from these advantages. But the company that makes the best bid should be the one chosen.<...>
MARINA BONDARENKO (Krasnaya Polyana): Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich! I am Marina Georgievna Bondarenko, a teacher.
The Olympics will take place in Russia in seven years. Those who want to take part in them must start preparing now. But the trouble is children's sports in our country are no longer available to the masses. They have become a luxury, because many sports facilities are privately owned. How can we make children's sports more accessible?
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: That is a very important question. Just recently we discussed the topic at the Council for Sport and Preparation for the Olympic Games to be headed by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
I am deeply convinced that the very fact of holding the Olympic Games in Sochi in Russia in 2014 will be a good occasion for the development of sports in the Russian Federation. Unfortunately we have lost a great deal from the Soviet era, things we benefited from that we thought would be ours forever. As soon as the state gets a little distracted from attending to such problems, they tend to snowball.
However, in recent years much has been done to develop sports for young people. I can tell you that we have increased by 40 % the number of boys and girls involved in sports schools for children and youth. We talked about this, as I said, at the most recent meeting of the Council for Sport. And the development of children's and youth sports will be one of the priorities of federal agencies, as well as regional ones. I hope that you will participate as actively as possible in this.<...>
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Just a second, can I interrupt you?
Here's another text message with what I think is a very important question. I don't know if it will be heard or not: "Will there be a banking crisis?" No, there will not.
"Will there be currency reform in Russia or not?" No, it's not in the works.
"When will you remove he slot machines from Moscow?" I must tell you that we have made a decision about this. If need be, I will come back to this issue. In many parts of the Russian Federation virtually all the slot machines have been removed from areas where there is a significant number of people. In accordance with the law adopted, in 2009 all gambling activities must be concentrated in four areas. I have already talked about this. But the transition period will be long so as not to destroy this business per se. We want to create conditions that will enable people who engage in this type of business to prepare calmly and as far in advance as possible for the move into these zones, which are designated by law for gambling activities.
I repeat, in some regions such decisions have already been taken. It depends on the regional authorities.
SERGEI BRILYOV: Vladimir Vladimirovich, you have not responded to a question which has come up again and again: how many hours a day do you sleep?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Enough to be able to respond to your questions.<...>
ALEXANDER GALKIN (Telephone question): Hello, dear Mr President!
This is Alexander Vasilyevich Galkin from Ekaterinburg with a question.
There has been more talk about a law on corruption. Up until now it's impossible to get anything without a bribe. Do you think that the new Prime Minister, Viktor Zubkov, can cope with this evil? He is a financial intelligence agent and should know the corrupt officials by name.
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I hope he does. Indeed, Viktor Alekseevich Zubkov knows a lot about this subject. And I have to say that he has coped very effectively with the challenge that he faced. He started from nothing, from scratch, and created a new, highly efficient service, which was called upon to fight against the legalisation of money acquired through criminal and illegal activity. His direct involvement has created this service and defined the parameters of its work for years to come.
But efforts by the Prime Minister are not enough. In addition we must strengthen and improve our legal framework. To do this we must create a climate of intolerance in society for such things, from small bribes on the roads to major government orders and contracts.<...>
VLADIMIR PUTIN: ... I think this is an important question: "Will the payments of maternity capital as per the decision adopted concerning maternity capital continue beyond 2008?" Yes, they will.<...>
MARGARITA SASHKINA (Telephone question): Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich!
My name is Margarita Nikolaevna Sashkina. I live in the city of Georgievsk. I have the following question.
At the moment, a great deal of attention is being paid to mothers and children, particularly the birth of children. Meanwhile, many families who want children cannot have them. The only solution remains in vitro fertilization, but it is very expensive. Why can't we solve this problem by making it a national project and doing it more cheaply?
Thank you.
VLADMIR PUTIN: It's an important question, and it really does affect many families, especially those who want to have children, but for one reason or another cannot. It is indeed a costly operation, and this is the main reason why we don't perform them that often.
Now, if my memory serves, around 1700 are carried out in Russia. The cost of such an operation is about 150 thousand rubles, and for that amount we provide a so-called state-guaranteed order. If we do the calculation, 1700 such operations at 150,000 rubles each makes for about 200 million rubles that we spend on this. Such operations, free of charge, paid for by the state, are performed in four federal centres, but the number of medical facilities where such a service could be provided is much higher, around 50, I think. What is the problem and what is the issue at stake? In fact, the basic problem is money. Bearing in mind that the demographic situation constitutes one of our most important problems, I think that you are right to draw attention to this issue, and I think we will need to increase federal funding, to increase state-guaranteed orders that enable us to perform this operation for free. To what extent? In a first phase I think it is possible to increase it by a factor of at least three, and I know where we can find the money. We have some savings in certain areas of the national projects, and an increase in funding for these purposes, three times 200 million, is certainly possible, as I suggested. Then we will see whether the medical institutions destined to receive this funding can cope with such a workload. We are ready to take the next step.<...>
N. CHEBUKOVA (Rzhev, Tver region): First of all, on behalf of the residents of Rzhev I would like to thank you for designating Rzhev a City of Military Glory. We have waited for this for a long time.
And my question is this: now a great deal of attention is being paid to the mega-cities, major cities such as Moscow and St Petersburg. With the introduction of a national project on agriculture attention has been paid to the villages. But today in Russia small towns are still forgotten. As a resident of Rzhev, what my city will be tomorrow matters to me. I am concerned about its future. It interests me.
VLADMIR PUTIN: First, in regard to the status of City of Military Glory: of course cities such as Rzhev have long deserved this. Indeed, in 1942-43, it was troops who fought there that prevented Hitler's forces from organising an attempt to launch a second large-scale attack on Moscow. It was a very important milestone in the development of the situation on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. That is the first thing.
Secondly, in regard to small towns: as you know, we have more than 1700 - I don't remember exactly. If you calculate the average number of residents who live there, they account for 40% of the entire population of Russia. And not only you are concerned and worried about the future of these cities, but of course all of us, including me, should be concerned about them. I think that to this point we have not done enough to maintain the pace of development in these cities, especially infrastructure. Support for the appropriate level of development has always been a regional affair, carried out at the regional and municipal levels. And this of course is not enough.
As you may know -- I hope you have heard of or have some idea of this - the federal government has decided to send a specific amount for the development and maintenance of small town infrastructure. We have recently issued 10 billion from the federal centre for the roads and the improvement of Russian cities. First and foremost, this was destined for small and medium-sized cities in Russia. We decided to set aside 240 billion, an astronomical sum for us, to address the problems of housing and community services and the resettlement of those in dilapidated and emergency housing (incidentally, here in the text messages, I also saw issues of this kind being raised). This 240 billion is to be utilised during the next four to five years. Let me draw your attention to the fact that in previous years we have allocated one or two billion for these purposes. And now, 240 billion! That is an extraordinary increase. And a significant portion of these resources should be used to address the problems of Russia's small and medium-sized cities. We also expect that the national projects you mentioned, in education, agriculture and medicine, will have a beneficial impact. After all, equipping primary health clinics or medical transportation, for example, should involve not only large mega-cities, but also Russia's small and medium-sized cities.
I have already mentioned that we have decided to significantly increase the minimum wage. There's no point in denying that people with low incomes live in Russia's small and medium-sized cities. I hope this decision will affect a certain number of people who live there, in addition to raising the wages of those working in the state-financed areas, as I also mentioned earlier. All of this taken together constitutes a positive sign. A special, target-based programme for architecture maintenance and development in Russia's small and medium-sized cities will provide around 5 billion in the first phase.
I hope that all of this together will have a positive effect.<...>
RUSLAN VINOGRADOV (Rzhev): I know that national projects have been launched in Russia, including in health care, and there have been concrete results. I am happy for our general practitioners, whose wages have gone up significantly, and there is new equipment in the clinics. The fleet of ambulances has been updated. In maternity clinics childbirth certificates are being used.
I am interested in whether you are planning on improving the hospitals and in-patient clinics? The fact is that we have, for example, artificial ventilation lung machines that were bought in the 1960s. Only one of them is new; and we also have an intensive care unit. Our portable x-ray machine breaks down more often than it takes pictures. Operating tools generally are in poor condition. It would be nice to have a ultrasound machine. We are dealing with patients who are seriously ill, and the outcome of the treatment depends upon the quality of the health services rendered.
I would like to know how health reform will develop in the future and what we specialists working in in-patient clinics can expect from this reform?
Thank you for your attention.
VLADMIR PUTIN: Ruslan Yurevich, you yourself said that given the complexities of the problem, it is only within the framework of a national project that we can resolve these issues and bring about the desired and required effect. We have begun to refurbish primary health care, with a large-scale reequipment on a scale that would not have been possible before. But we have agreed from the outset to use federal funds to acquire the necessary technological equipment. However, bringing order to the premises must still be done at the regional and municipal level, in order to adjust the equipment and install it in the right way. But that's not all.
We have committed ourselves to the creation of new high-tech centres in the Russian Federation. There was a good deal of disagreement about this, and I know that some of my regional colleagues were unhappy with this decision. They believe that it is better to give money to those centres that are already in place. True, we must support and develop them too, but we need to put high-tech medical care closer to the regions of the Russian Federation. And I think that in the final analysis those who say no, we need these centres where there were none before, and of course we have to supply them with staff as well, I think these people are right. This is no easy task. We need people who can work on this equipment, but it is better to do this than to leave everything until some undefined "future". I can only assure you that this work will continue.
As for the reforms in the health sector as a whole, here we can take the direction that we have talked about many times. Given that we are obliged to provide free medical care, we need to create an environment in which professionals receive money for the quality of service provided. When the money goes for patients, for cured patients, when the money goes for the quality of services provided, we will have achieved the greatest success.
Take the example of childbirth certificates. Women are given these maternity certificates. If they are happy with the way they are treated in the medical institutions, they turn in the certificate, and that means an immediate amelioration, including cash income for the medical staff. This principle is not necessarily the technology you're talking about, but it should be used in medicine as a whole.<...>
QUESTION (Kaliningrad): Our neighbours in Poland, the Kaczynski brothers, are tirelessly engaged in anti-Russian exercises and as we speak are ready to expand their American missile defense system. Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, is it worth deploying the Russian ABM in the Kaliningrad region to save Poland from Iranian and Korean missiles?
Thank you.
VLADMIR PUTIN: Thank you for that question. I do not think that we should make efforts to ensure security in other parts of Europe, if the leaders of those countries do not consider the security interests of their neighbours, especially our security and yours. But we have made some proposals in this regard. What are they?
First: we must determine together - with the Americans and Europeans - the nature and the substance of these potential missile threats. We have to understand if the threat comes from Iran, or North Korea, or some terrorist organisation, or does not really exist. That's the first thing.
Second: we proposed the creation of a clear and understandable mechanism to give access in the future to any anti-missile system, democratic access, so that we would understand how and by whom it is administered and what role Russia would play in such a system. This will enable us to unite our technological capabilities and the resources available in the CIS countries, including the monitoring of missile launches that we use according the relevant treaties, and those that exist in the Russian Federation. Recent contacts with our American counterparts show that they are really considering our proposals and looking for solutions to problems and ways of allaying our concerns.
Therefore, I do not think we should try to escalate the situation here, but we have said loudly and clearly to all our partners that if these decisions are made without taking into account the security interests of the Russian Federation, we will take retaliatory steps that would of course ensure the safety of Russia's citizens. I assure you, these steps are planned, and we will take them. Where to put the missiles is the prerogative of military specialists, especially the specialists of the General Staff of the Russian Army.<...>
ANNA ISACHENKO (Kaliningrad): Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich!
My name is Anna Isachenko. I am a resident of Kaliningrad. This is my question. Russia and the European Union are signing a document concerning the facilitation of the visa regime. But for us residents of Kaliningrad it is becoming more difficult to cross into Poland and Lithuania. Perhaps our Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be more aggressive?
Thank you.
VLADMIR PUTIN: Regarding the movement of the citizens of Kaliningrad, I would like to note two things and you certainly know about them.
First: citizens of the Russian Federation living in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region are guaranteed freedom of movement to other Russian territories. And here, in concert with our European partners, we have introduced the so-called simplified documents for transit and multiple trips. And we have agreed that such a regime of free movement for Russian citizens living in the Kaliningrad Region, through neighbouring states and to the territory of the Russian Federation, will be maintained in the future, including after the entry of Poland - in this case, Lithuania is most important - into the Schengen zone.
We are negotiating with our European partners about the facilitation of a mutual visa regime. Now residents of the Kaliningrad region must obtain a visa, like every other citizen in the Russian Federation. We have agreed, for example, with Lithuania to introduce a mutual visa system free of charge to residents who live in the surrounding regions. This decision, if it comes about, must be approved by the European Commission.
In fact, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work step by step to increase the various categories of Russian citizens (and Europeans), who enjoy certain preferential procedures in obtaining a visa, as a stage on the way to abolishing the visa regime between the EU and the Russian Federation as a whole. <...>
YEKATERINA ANDREEVA: Vladimir Vladimirovich, in preparation for Hot Line, according to tradition, you always choose some questions yourself, so now we are ready ...
VLADMIR PUTIN: There's an interesting question right here: "When will the ruble be a fully convertible currency? "
I must say that after making the decision to liberalise on the monetary side, we have done everything to make the ruble a freely convertible currency. What does this mean? This means that the citizens of the Russian Federation can freely and without any notification open accounts in foreign banks if they need to, if they see this as somehow in their economic interest. This means that all capital that enters the Russian Federation can be freely withdrawn from the territory of Russia, without any encumbrance from the state or the Central Bank. Incidentally, this has led to the result many experts expected: unlike previous years, we have seen no outflow of foreign exchange earnings from Russia and large inflows. Last year it was 41 billion dollars, this year, already 70. True, we have seen a small outflow of so-called speculative capital, but on the whole the balance is more than positive and better than last year.
Now about those questions that I selected.<...>
"When will the president and his administration eliminate corruption in the agencies of Internal Affairs? " An Internal Affairs officer is asking this question. He says that he is forced to release scotfree people who have some special connection with the authorities.
What can I say about this? In the last nine months 47468 crimes were committed by officials of the MIA [Ministry of Internal Affairs]. These are grim figures: 30,000 employees, more than 30,000 officers guilty of taking bribes - that is 40% of the total number of offenses. Of these, the same number, 40%, were brought to responsibility by their own security service, and 60% aftter citizens' applications.
What can you do in these cases? Since you, a staff member of the MIA, had the courage to raise this with me in this way (I will not give your surname), then what you can do, what in fact any Russian citizen can do is very simple: first of all go through the appropriate channels in the security service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In recent years it has been working reasonably well. I know that this is clearly not enough. I have already talked about how to fight corruption. We must create in society as a whole a climate of intolerance and make the legislation in this area more stringent.
"As an internet user I am interested in your views on censorship of the Russian part of the net. Do you think it is right to spy on the World Wide Web, as they do in China and a number of other countries?" Nikolay Pavlovich Zykov, a student, Permsky Krai."
The Russian Federation has no control over the World Wide Web or over the Russian segment of the internet. I think that such control offers little from the point of view of a technological solution to this problem. Of course, in this environment, as well as other environments, we have to think hard to ensure that Russian laws are respected, so that child pornography doesn't proliferate and that no financial crimes are committed in this environment. But this is already the business of law enforcement officials. Total control and the work of law enforcement agencies are very different things.<...>
Now ... This is Lydia Vasilyevna Ivanov, a pensioner, Krasnoyarsk Territory. "Those living in our city are worried that there will be a default soon. Please tell me if a default is expected or whether there will be one in general?"
No, there won't, Lydia Vasilyevna, there won't be a default. And I can tell you why. What is a default? Firstly, it is the inability of the state to pay its external debts. And, secondly, the inability of the state and the Central Bank to ensure the necessary volume of foreign currency for those involved in economic activity in our own country.
What happened in 1998? The volume of external debt was colossal, the value of our gold reserves, minimal. And in the face of adverse market conditions (at that point the price of oil had dropped to 12 and even 8 dollars a barrel) the government and the Central Bank simply had no foreign exchange reserves to ensure that the needs of the market, banks and other participants in economic activity were met. Where did this lead? This led to a devaluation of the national currency. What was the result? Galloping inflation. I cannot remember how much it was in 1997 (I think about 28% ), but then it rose to more than 80%. The citizenry's supplies were depleted and consequently many prices rose. Why is this is not possible today? First, we have no such external debts, we have settled all our accounts. The ratio of our external debt to GDP is the best in Europe. That's the first reason.
Second: we have important gold reserves, 424 billion American dollars. According to this indicator, they are the third largest in the world after China and Japan. And many experts say that this constitutes an "air bag" for the overall economy and for all citizens. This is what prevents our economy from getting into the condition that it was in in 1998. And that is precisely why we must treat these reserves with caution.
During the election campaign, there has been a lot of talk about how to distribute the money. It is very easy to hand it all out. But the question is not how to distribute it but how to effectively utilise these opportunities. The issue is to create an environment for the positive and progressive development of the entire economy. And this is precisely the role of gold reserves.
Our budget and our foreign trade are both in surplus. And this too is an important condition which allows us to say with full confidence that there will be no default. And investment is also a very important element in the stability of the economy. I have already spoken about how our investment, including foreign investment, has grown many times, increased many-fold. And that also has a stabilising effect on the economy.
Regarding foreign-travel passports. Dmitry Stanislavovich Shapkin, Moscow: "How long will this sophisticated farce of the external passport system go on? Why do foreigners manage with one passport and Russians need two?" Yes, and for only five years at that: "Isn't that rather often, to change one's passport every five years?"
This is the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Experts believe that five years in someone's life can produce significant changes. And for that reason they insist that the five-year time limit for an external passport be retained. Many countries have the same system, 5 or 10 years. In general, of course, with the stabilisation of our internal political life and our economic life, while continuing our active efforts in the fight against terrorism and crime, this period will be increased. <...>
Anna Sergeyevna Kuznetsova: "I am 9 years old. Since I was five, I have dreamt of being the President of Russia. Question: Do you think that a woman has the chance to become the President of Russia? If so, in what institute do they train the President of Russia? "
I think that any citizen of the Russian Federation, woman or man, should have such a chance. Certainly for women there is such a chance. Unfortunately, in our country, in administrative circles and in the higher echelons of power, there have been very few women up until now. But you may have noticed that in the government of the Russian Federation, the number of women in the top posts, with ministerial responsibilities, has increased. And these are very good professionals. I am sure that their number will increase. And the role and importance of women in the life of the country will eventually be such that the vast majority of citizens will not see the man or the woman, but will be looking for personal and business-related qualities. And there are enough people in Russia who are able able to fulfill the tasks facing the head of state.
YEKATERINA ANDREYEVA: Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
Today's live broadcast is coming to an end. This was the sixth «Hot Line with the President of the Russian Federation». Six times Channel One, the Rossiya TV channel and we have invited the President of our country to talk directly with our citizens.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, thank you for finding time in your overloaded schedule to be with us six times. I don't even know if somewhere on such a scale there is another such project that has lasted as long, or whether in some other country someone could duplicate it.
SERGEI BRILYOV: We have collected some statistics of sorts that suggest some of the results of these years. We have been in touch with 67 cities and towns, including foreign countries and the near abroad, like today. Of course 99% were in the Russia Federation. Again, looking at and measuring these years has shown that the ratings have gone consistently up, which from the professional and television point of view is very important. And from the political point of view, I would dare to say that it is obviously important that the programme set as its ultimate priority to ensure that people were interested, and able to learn first-hand what power does and how it goes about doing it.
Therefore, a special thanks to all those who sent in their questions this time and in years past. And, of course, thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for the fact that this link with the people was forged and has existed for so many years.
VLADMIR PUTIN: For my part I would like to thank the emcees and all of your colleagues who worked in the regions. But a special word of thanks, of course, to all the citizens who have taken an interest in this joint work. This is very important for the entire leadership of the country and for me in particular, because it gives a clear idea of what concerns citizens of the Russian Federation, what they are most interested in, how they live and what problems they think about. This compels all of us, including me, to concentrate our attention on the vital issues for our citizens and the vital issues of the development of the Russian Federation.
Thank you very much for your attention. All the best!