From: Colin McCullough (colin@azimuthmedia.org)
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005
Subject: Foreign Exchange Interview with Vladimir Ryzhkov
Transcript of Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria - Episode 122 Interview
with Vladimir Ryzhkov
Released Tuesday, August 30, 2005
For more information, please visit
www.foreignexchange.tv
Fareed Zakaria: Are there any democrats left in Russia? Well we talked with one, Vladimir Ryzhkov, a member of the Duma and an independent parliamentarian. A fierce critic of Russian President, Putin, Ryzhkov is a brave but lonely voice these days.
He began by telling us in no uncertain terms that Russia is not the democratic beacon that the United States had hoped it would become after the collapse of communism.
Vladimir Ryzhkov: I'm very worried that we are losing democracy; I'm very worried on that, because without democracy there is no competition. Without competition there is no choice between different ideas--between different decisions. We always had a monopoly of power on minds, on political course, on the economic course, and it was the main reason why Tsarist Russia and Soviet Russia were not successful.
Now [for] a third time in our history [we] have [a] monopoly; this is a problem. Not [that] Putin is [the] problem; [the] problem is his regime--monopolism, control. This is a problem and in this comparison, of course, he's in the same role as authoritarian leaders of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and so on. That's so, unfortunately. But my hopes are that, let's just take a small short authoritarian break on the old Russia to democracy. It's my hope. And I hope that next political season will give us more hopes.
Fareed Zakaria: On the subject of U.S.-Russian relations, Ryzhkov says he finds American policy to be confusing.
Vladimir Ryzhkov: When I heard Mr. Bush's national address, when I heard his inauguration speech, I was very much impressed because he said that the only mission he has, and the only mission the United States has, is to promote freedom and to promote democracy across the globe. But in the relations with Russia, it does not exist because it's clear for me, for everybody who knows at least a little bit about Russia, that Putin is an autocratic leader. That he destroys democracy, that he's not a democrat and Russia is becoming less and less a free country and less and less a democratic country and more and more [an] autocratic country. But Bush is saying, "I believe this man; I believe that he is democrat. I believe that democracy is fine in Russia." So, it's a very big contradiction between rhetoric and practice.
Fareed Zakaria: In the emerging market's world, Russia is hot. The Russian economy has been growing fast; its stock market is up. But Ryzhkov is not as optimistic as many about the future of Russia's economy.
Vladimir Ryzhkov: Russia is now [the] 16th [largest] economy in the world; it's approximately equal to Brazil. Russia has economic growth at about six or seven percent [over the] last five years, but not because we are doing very well. It's because oil prices are very high and becoming higher and higher. We are producing more oil than the Soviet Union produced. We are exporting much more than the Soviet Union exported. So it means that Russian economy and Russia are becoming more and more [of a] petro-state, like Venezuela, like Nigeria, like Persian Gulf states, and it's very sad that we're becoming less and less intellectual economy, less and less [an] information economy, less and less even [an] industrial economy where we can [and] more and more a natural resources economy.
Fareed Zakaria: On Russia's ongoing war with separatists in Chechnya, Ryzhkov held to the Russian line that this should be considered an internal affair of the Russian Republic.
Vladimir Ryzhkov: I never believed that Chechnya is part of global agenda and I still don't believe that. I think Chechnya is not part of international terror issue. I think Chechnya is not part of war against terror initiated by President, by President Bush. I'm sure that Chechnya is, is clear domestic issue. Chechnya, it's an issue of negotiations; Chechnya, it's an issue of efficiency of Russian police and militaries; Chechnya, it's an issue of political dialogue between different groups in Chechen society and my hopes are this year that common parliamentary elections in Chechnya will make situation there more peaceful and more predictable. If different like American [elections] - which did very well in Iraq by the way - parliamentary elections where all groups were represented as a result. So my hope is that maybe coming in autumn this year, parliamentary elections in Chechnya will give us a chance to have progress there. But it's not issue of war against terror. It's not an issue of a global agenda; it's a clear domestic, Russian issue.
Fareed Zakaria: When asked about the war on terror Ryzhkov said that this foreign policy issue was one on which Russia and the United States saw eye-to-eye.
Vladimir Ryzhkov: We strongly support. Russia strongly supports war against terror because we lost thousands of Russian citizens because of terrorist acts in Moscow, Grozny and other places. And in this sense we actively supported Americans in Afghanistan -- not so much active[ly] -- but we're not against Iraq campaign done by the President, by [the] American administration. In this sense, yes; my answer is yes. We became closer.after 9/11 when Putin was the first foreign leader who called Mr. Bush and supported America. And after that we became closer. And it's our common responsibility to stop terror against the world and in this sense we are ready to cooperate. We are ready to support. We are ready to give information. We are ready to give infrastructure. We are ready to participate in all forms in the war against terror. And in this sense no doubt we're strong and honest allies.
Fareed Zakaria: Finally, when asked if he would run for president of Russia in 2008, Ryzhkov was cautious but he didn't rule it out.
Vladimir Ryzhkov: I'm ready to run, I'm ready to run. But I think that it's not today's question. Today's question is [how] to create strong political force, defend strong and clear democratic values. I know at least five persons, even now, who can be very good candidates - joint candidates of the liberal opposition - for the coming presidential elections. I don't want to say their names because it may be [a] danger in current Russia. But I know that. - I'm sure that - we will find good candidate for running in '08. So today's task of this day is to be united. Second step will be participation in the Duma elections. And.the third step, will be to find common candidate, united candidate and, to run for the presidency.
Fareed Zakaria: As incoming chairman of the G-8, Vladimir Putin has stated his concerns--energy policy, declining population rates in Europe, infectious diseases, education. It will be interesting to see if Putin's turn as chairman brings more pressure on him to conform to international concerns about democracy in Russia.