Moscow, 31 March: Yabloko (opposition party) leader Grigoriy Yavlinskiy is set on dialogue with the authorities, and opposes "senseless gatherings, running about on the streets and appeals to foreign countries".

"We are very different from the current authorities, we have different views about all the important issues. But you can only work with the country in one way: meet, discuss substantial problems, propose alternative initiatives, stand up for your own views, and if possible, take part in implementing them in practice," Yavlinskiy said, speaking at a meeting of Yabloko's party bureau which was held in Moscow in the past few days, the party's press service has said.

At the same time, Yavlinskiy said that contact with the authorities was only possible "from a position of political and professional independence".

"In order to influence what happens in the country, it is necessary to have a substantial, well-developed professional position on all the key issues, and use all ways of working to implement them in practice," he added.

For this, Yavlinskiy believes that dialogue with the authorities is necessary "in all acceptable political forms".

This requires rather than excludes "an absolutely honest assessment of the situation in the country and a strong protest against lawlessness, injustice and violations of human rights", said the statement by the press service.

"However, protests as a form of protesters' self-indulgence and nothing more cannot be the purpose of political activity - it is the same kind of imitation that the authorities are guilty of. It is the road to degradation. It is reduced to talk, senseless gatherings, running about on the streets, and appeals to foreign countries. That is not political activity, it is just a semblance of it - just like everything the radical opposition has done in Russia in the past four years," said Yavlinskiy.

Yavlinskiy believes a solution is to be found not by rejecting certain ways of working, but in formulating basic priorities and goals, says the press release.

"We need to build up experience of practical professional work, learn to be effective and apply our knowledge in the existing conditions, being able to bring about real changes to the situation based on our views and convictions when we have the opportunity, rather than becoming eternal and well-paid nobodies, professional revolutionaries," Yavlinskiy said.