#9
gazeta.ru
December 21, 2001
Former PM Kiriyenko Answers Questions of Gazeta.Ru
Readers
Sergei Kiriyenko’s name became known nation-wide, when in April 1998 he became the youngest prime-minister in Russian history. He was forced to leave the post in the aftermath of the August 1998 economy collapse. In December 1998 his name hit the headlines again, when he established the all-Russian rightist political movement Novaya Sila (New Force), that later entered the Union of the Rightist Forces (SPS). In February 1999 he was a candidate Moscow mayor elections. Naturally, he lost the race to Luzhkov, having scored second-highest vote. In August 1999 Sergei Kiriyenko together with Boris Nemtsov and Irina Khakamada formed a pre-election bloc of the Union of Rightist Forces and became the lower house deputy in December. In May 2000 Vladimir Putin invited him to take the post of the presidential envoy to the Volga federal district.
On Thursday, December 20 Sergei Kiriyenko answered the questions of Gazeta.Ru readers.
Being an envoy to the Volga district is not an easy task. What kind of relationship do you have with leadership of ethnic republics, such as Tatarstan, Bashkortostan? //Galina (Moscow)
A good relationship. I consider myself lucky. All the 15 regions (that are part of the Volga federal district) are headed by competent, balanced leaders.
Of course, they maintain their interests, and this is absolutely normal, for if our positions coincided, someone of us would not be needed.
Everyone must have his sphere of responsibility. National security, defence, social benefits, judicial system – all that is under the jurisdiction of the federal authority, and we are not going to give this away to anyone.
Tremendous tasks regional leaders are facing include development of cities, regions. That is their concern.
What is the situation with the construction of the plant for elimination of chemical weapons in the settlement of Gorny, the Saratov Region. Do you plan to visit the Saratov Region? Is that true that you are in tense relationship with (the governor of Saratov Region ) Ayatskov? Thank you, in advance. // Igor (Engels)
The construction of the plant goes on. By May the construction and assembly works will have been completed. We hope to finalize the start-up and adjustment operations in August and then to proceed to commission. This year we have managed to earmark enough funds, and next year we will have sufficient amounts coming on time. I visited Saratov four times in the past year.
I try to visit all regions evenly so that nobody feels hurt. I will certainly visit (Saratov) this spring. I maintain good working relations with Ayatskov, there is mutual understanding between us.
Dear Mr.Kiriyenko! Many observers draw parallels between the latest events in Argentina and the situation in Russia in 1998. What is your forecast in that regard, given your personal experience? Does that imply that defaults are natural, and will recur in future? // Yelena, Moscow
These situations are similar. You ask, whether defaults are a rule. They are a rule if somebody lives beyond one’s means. It is important to repay your debts. Anybody – a company, a region or a country can run bankrupt. Defaults will recur there and then, where and when people will forget about possibility to live within one’s means. Luckily, this is not a threat for Russia today.
What is your forecast of Russian economic development for the next half year? // Svetlana (England)
The growth will continue. I think that its rate may prove lower, and primarily because of the low oil prices.
I think that despite of all measures aimed to maintain them, we will not have as high price next year, as we had last year. Besides, there is such factor as the global economic recession in the aftermath of September 11.
It affects us somewhat less as we are less integrated in the world economy, but the influence exists.
Could the low oil prices entail the new default in Russia? // Roman Menkin (St.Petersburg)
No, I think, that is not possible. Russia defaulted not because of the low oil prices, but owing to the fact that we had low prices and low state revenues, and at the same time we spent more than we earned thus we were living on credit. Today Russia not only stopped to live on credit, but also uses part of revenues for repayment of old debts.
This is the reason why the change in oil prices is important for Russia, yet it cannot lead to any crises or defaults by itself. Any crisis or default always is the result of one’s own policy.
What is your estimate of Boris Berezovsky’s capability to affect the outcome of the next presidential elections in Russia? // Lyudmila (Latvia).
His capability is zero. In my opinion, he simply fails to understand that times have changed and that the country has changed. This is the most important – oligarchs, acting separately or together, are no longer able to dictate their will to the nation. That has happened (oligarchs have lost their influence), and, what is especially important, that has happened without serious disasters and bloodshed.
We realize that several years ago the influence of key oligarchs in the country was absolute, they had an opportunity to govern the country. This is no longer so, but not all of them have reconciled to that. They will have to.
Dear Mr.Kiriyenko, what is your standpoint concerning the situation surrounding the NTV and the TV6? In your opinion, is there a real threat to the freedom of speech in Russia? What is the situation with the freedom of speech in your federal district? Eugene (Brooklyn, New York)
What is your attitude to the pending closure of the TV6 television company? // Vitsyn, Sergei (Moscow)
I do not possess the whole of the information, but the situation with the NTV was more clear for me.
There are two key freedoms – the freedom of speech and the freedom of of property. What should never be done is to make somebody choose between those two freedoms: one cannot ask a child whom he loves more, his mom or his dad. But there is never a freedom of speech, if there is no freedom of property, and vice versa. I consider it very important to secure both.
Therefore, when a question emerges, if a certain media outlet, by the virtue of it being a media outlet, could refuse to repay debt, take credits and not to repay? The answer is no, since the liability to repay debts must be uniformly applied to the media outlet and to the bank.
As for the TV6, it is good, that there is a company that is independent and expresses its own opinion. The more there are such companies, the better.
What is your attitude towards sects? Media reports many times alleged you belonged to Scientology sect? Could you please confirm or refute the allegation? // Alexei, Moscow
Fortunately, journalists have long since ceased to ask me about that. I have never ever belonged to any sect.
Is Putin’s here for a long time?// Gennady (Brooklyn, NY)
Western media often accuse Putin of adherenceto the Soviet-era (as the Americans perceive that – rigidly anti-liberal) methods of running the country. In your opinion, to what extent Putin is the “Soviet” type of a president? And what is the level of this fact’s positive or negative influence on Russia? // Maria Z (St.Petersburg, currently in the US).
Dear Mr.Kiriyenko, are you able to somehow influence the president so that he does not give in to provocative proposals to extend the constitutional term of presidency? Does Russia really has to follow the example of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and others, or, instead will follow France that, on the contrary, reduced the presidential term from 7 to 5 years. I would like to hope that the young Russian democracy will not fall that low in the eyes of the West. // Marat Salikov (St.Louis, Missouri, USA)
I do not know what of all that Putin has done may be perceived as anti-liberal measures. The income tax is now the lowest existing – 13%; his strive to make Russia the member of the WTO, of the united Europe; joint cooperation with NATO in combating terrorism. I am convinced, that Putin will stay on his post till the end of this term, and for one more presidential term.
It seems to me that accusing Putin of old and Soviet-era methods is no longer relevant. In September-October (this year), as a chairman of the Chemical Weapons Commission, I visited practically all G7 countries.
As a rule, I frequently encountered such situation in public opinion that people considered Russia has happened to be half a step ahead – in its understanding of problems, of necessary actions and, by the way, the president’s personal position contributed a lot to the improvement of Russia’s image in the world.
Once a high-ranking official of one of the NATO states during the discussion of chemical disarmament programme told me: “Please ask president Putin, so that he tells Bush, because Bush listens to him, that in relations with Europe one should act so and so…”
I said: “Do you realize what you are talking about? You ask a member of Security Council of Russia to exert influence on the US so that they would listen better to their partner in NATO!” That’s fantastic!
(As for the proposal to extend the presidential term), the president has already given his answer. I know his opinion on the matter. He has many times expressed it before. On December 12, Constitution Day he publicly stated, that as long as he remains the president, the Constitution would not be amended, and the term of presidency provision would remain unchanged. This position deserves respect.
Thank you for answering our readers’ questions. Good-bye // Gazeta.Ru
Good-bye.
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