#6
Head of national power grid says Russia should not miss
its chance
Interfax
Moscow, 16 December: Anatoliy Chubays, Union of Right Forces' co-chairman and chief of the Unified Energy Systems of Russia (UES) energy utility, thinks that the current situation is extremely favourable for the assertion of Russia's strong positions in the world. "A fantastic window of opportunities has opened for Russia, which will not last indefinitely, however. Today, we can speak to the West, not vice versa," Chubays said on the "Zerkalo" programme on RTR television [Russia TV channel] on Saturday evening [15 December].
He said President Vladimir Putin's moves and statements following 11 September had made "a very strong impression on the West", noting, however, that "it is merely a sign after which more large-scale events must occur". Putin will have to make "a very large-scale, global choice", said Chubays.
He said what he was talking about was likely to happen in the next five to seven years. In just a couple of years the key role will be played by Russia's relations with other countries, not by economic issues, Chubays said.
When asked about Boris Berezovskiy's plans to establish his own party, Chubays said Berezovskiy "will not achieve any results" by doing so. "This is neither business nor a shadow influence on authority. It is an open policy. I think he has turned to this sphere, driven not by the best of circumstances," he said, adding that the Union of Right Forces was ready to compete with Berezovskiy's future party.
Commenting on Berezovskiy's open letter to him, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and the head of the presidential administration, Aleksandr Voloshin, Chubays said that outside Russia Berezovskiy had "completely lost understanding of what is going on in Russia".
He said his party would mostly likely nominate a candidate for the next presidential elections.
He also said that electricity tariffs would definitely rise.
Next Article