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Further efforts needed for Russian well-being - Putin
MOSCOW, Dec 31 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin told Russians on Tuesday that further efforts would be expended to improve their living standards and said Moscow had won the respect of the world community by helping confront terrorism.
In a New Year greeting delivered against the backdrop of the Kremlin walls, Putin said hard work had helped Russia maintain its trend of economic growth and made political activity in the country more predictable.
"We have achieved perhaps limited but tangible results. The year 2001 was significantly different from the previous year," Putin said in the message, first broadcast to Russians in far eastern regions several time zones ahead of Moscow.
"We managed not only to maintain the trend of economic growth and at least to a small extent improve people's lives. We also showed that the good results of the previous year were no accident or a mere one-off instance in our lives."
But not all Russians, he said, "are living better and not all can achieve this without the support of society and the state. We must bear this in mind when assessing what has been done and in drawing up plans for the future."
He said Russia's parliament had already approved legislation necessary to foster a favourable business climate and create social well-being in the years to come.
Putin had earlier on Monday signed into law two pieces of legislation critical to proceeding with reform -- the 2002 budget, the first in post-Soviet times with a surplus -- and a labour code adapted to post-communist conditions.
The president had raised the notion of higher living standards at a weekend cabinet meeting, saying his administration had the duty to make Russians feel the benefits of improved economic performance.
He repeated that economic expansion was likely to be 5.2-5.5 percent this year after record growth of 8.3 percent in 2000. Average monthly salaries stand at the equivalent of about $100, but many earn much less, particularly outside major cities.
In international relations, Putin said Russia had joined forces with major world powers in the U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition in order to "defend peace, calm and life itself.
"The world has come to view Russia with great trust and respect. It became apparent that Russia's consistent fight against terrorism was predicated not only our national interests but a global danger," he said.
"The world community responded to the terrorists' new challenge with unprecedented international cooperation."
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