Vanguard News Network
VNN Media
VNN Digital Library
VNN Reader Mail
VNN Broadcasts

Old March 26th, 2019 #21
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Greetings to participants of the 9th Russian Winter Rural Sports Games



Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to participants of the 9th Russian Winter Rural Sports Games, the final stage of which is underway in Tyumen.



March 19, 2019 - 10:00



The message reads, in part:

“These large-scale competitions have become very popular as a major sporting event.

The rich agenda and an open and friendly atmosphere at the Rural Games attracts ever more participants from across the country every year, introduces young people to the values of active and healthy lifestyle, physical culture and sports, as well as leave bright and positive emotions among both participants and numerous fans of this wonderful sports festival.

I am confident that the 9th Russian Winter Rural Sports Games will live up to our expectations, that they will be remembered for the outstanding victories and achievements and will also promote cooperation in resolving current social problems in rural areas.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60105






Meeting of Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office Board



Vladimir Putin took part in an expanded meeting of the Russian Federation Prosecutor-General’s Office Board. The President assessed the 2018 performance of prosecution agencies and charted the main tasks for 2019.



March 19, 2019 - 14:15 - Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today, at this expanded meeting of the Prosecutor-General’s Office Board, we will discuss the results that you have managed to achieve in 2018 and the key tasks, due to be accomplished by you.

I would like to note straight away that, last year, Russian prosecutors made a substantial contribution to the fight against crime, extremism and corruption. I would like to note that you reviewed numerous appeals by citizens, that is, about five million in 2018.

Wage arrears were also repaid with the direct involvement of prosecution agencies. You continued to monitor compliance with social-sector legislation. And you have, of course, achieved impressive results with regard to wages.

Arrears worth over 26 billion rubles have been repaid. On the whole, the specific measures taken helped reduce the number of violations of citizens’ rights, related to remuneration, by 15 percent compared to 2017.

The defence industry’s performance is being monitored more effectively. I asked Mr Chaika [the Prosecutor General] to report on this matter separately because you and I know that the state sets aside substantial funding for these purposes.

And we need to ensure a serious statesman-like approach regarding all aspects linked with the fulfilment of our plans to boost the national defence capability, to prevent any violations and any thefts which is the most important thing. Unfortunately, we know of such facts, it happened…

The principled position of military prosecutors made it possible to improve troop-level discipline, law and order.

I want to thank Russian prosecutors for conscientiously fulfilling their official duties, for their professionalism and principled attitude.

We need to continue scoring the same impressive results as before, and to make sure that the laws be unfailingly enforced all over the Russian Federation in a uniform manner, and we need to resolutely oppose any manifestations of arbitrary rule and nihilistic attitudes towards the law.

I would like to draw your attention to the following high-priority tasks.







We have started implementing long-term national projects. These programmes receive substantial, if not to say unprecedentedly large, resources. And they must be spent appropriately, efficiently and provide the society with the desired results. I am asking you to closely monitor this aspect in line with your powers.

It is no less important to help formulate the regulatory framework of the national projects. You also know that all oversight and control documents will have to undergo detailed scrutiny over a period of the next two years.

We need to resolutely get rid of archaisms together with everything that hampers development. It goes without saying that we must do this in the most careful manner possible. We need to be very attentive, while making certain decisions.

I am confident that you will take the most active part in drafting and updating the legislative and regulatory framework, including departmental documents, together with colleagues from other departments, members of parliament, the business community and the Government. I would like to ask you to pay attention to this.







In this connection, I would like to mention another important job that I have discussed at recent meetings of the boards of the Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service. This implies more effective protection of entrepreneurs’ rights and efforts to facilitate the improvement of the business climate. Colleagues, we perceive this as extremely important because we must compensate for all outside restrictions facing us by improving the quality of our work inside the country. We can accomplish this, and everything is in our hands.

I would like to request the prosecutors to resolutely respond to any violations in this field and to provide entrepreneurs with effective assistance and support in defending their legitimate rights as well as interests.

Your responsibility is to monitor the situation related to the criminal prosecution of business people and if necessary, promptly use prosecution response measures, such as the prevention of unsubstantiated extension of detention or dissolution of companies resulting in people losing their jobs.







And, of course, it is necessary to continue to consistently bring about order when it comes to labour and social relations and to monitor the issues of employment, especially of young people and people of pre-retirement age.

There should be a strong response to pension arrears and any violations in providing subsidised medicine and rehabilitation equipment.

I would also like to request you to take a principled approach to the compliance with legislation regarding family support, the use of maternity capital and providing housing to orphans.

Of course there are many economic issues and possibilities at regional levels, and so forth, but these economic or financial limitations are not always the result of unscrupulous behaviour of government agencies.

I also expect more results from you in protecting the rights of minors. Despite the work done, there are very many violations. Moreover, their number grew last year.

In addition to this, it is necessary to seriously improve the protection of children and teenagers from criminal assaults. I would like to ask the Prosecutor General’s Office to analyse the situation and to propose additional measures to prevent such crimes.







Colleagues,

One of the priorities for the prosecutor’s office is the coordination of law enforcement agencies’ activities in terms of crime prevention.

It is important to improve the mechanisms of interaction with the Interior Ministry, the Investigative Committee and other agencies in order to reduce the levels of crime, extremism and corruption, to insist on legal compliance when accepting reports of a crime and registering them, as well as in collecting and transferring statistics.

It is necessary to promptly identify and eliminate violations in the work of the bodies involved in criminal intelligence and surveillance operations and to monitor the quality of investigations of criminal cases at all levels.

Let me repeat that the requirements of criminal procedure legislation on the reasonable duration of criminal proceedings must be strictly observed. The decision for detention as a level of restriction must correspond to the gravity of the charges rather than made because some investigator thinks it will create conditions for what he considers a more thorough inquiry.

I would like to ask you to display more responsibility when consenting to a criminal trial based on special procedure. If there are doubts in proving criminal charges or the voluntary character and awareness of the defendant’s request for it, we need to insist on a trial under the normal procedure.

Trying cases under special procedure is certainly an important tool but it should not serve as a cover up for a poor, incompetent investigation.

The prosecutor’s office should continually focus on the penal and correctional system. In cooperation with their colleagues from the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), human rights ombudsmen in the regions, and representatives of human rights organisations, prosecutors must toughen their supervision over the living conditions of the people in detention. They should make sure that modern standards pertaining to detention conditions and medical support are strictly observed.







Furthermore, prosecution authorities should improve their work in terms of environmental protection and natural resource management. You know how sensitive this issue is for society, for people. This is also a vital factor for the economy: now that we are moving to new standards in this area it is essential to carefully monitor this.

I am referring to the need to fully organise municipal waste management and to respond promptly to unauthorised waste dumps. Any citizen complaints must be reviewed very thoroughly and result in specific actions.

Colleagues!

In conclusion I would like to emphasise that by tradition the work of the prosecution agencies is in the focus of public attention.

You are endowed with serious authority. You bear huge responsibility for protecting the interests of the state and the rights and freedoms of the people.

I am sure you understand this well and will do everything to continue fulfilling the tasks set before you in a professional manner.

Thank you for your attention.







<…>


Vladimir Putin:

Mr Chaika, colleagues,

I have literally just two comments to make. Of course, the scope of duties of the prosecutor's office includes everything that is regulated by law in the country, practically, our entire life. So, there is no point in listing things over and over again. I have already spoken about priorities, and the Prosecutor General has just mentioned them. I have, literally, a few general, at first glance, comments, which may even look trivial to professional lawyers.

My first point is that, first of all, you need to focus in your work on protecting the legitimate interests of citizens. This is the number one priority. In this sense, social protection, such as timely payment of wages and social benefits or providing housing for entitled categories of citizens, should of course be prioritised.

My second point is about major financial flows going from the state budget to certain industries. We have already discussed the state defence order which remains a priority. Still, this work is being done at specific enterprises and in specific regions. There are many of them but not all regions.

The priority national projects we are beginning to work on concern all Russian regions without exception. There are certain delays both on the part of the Government and on the part of the regions, not all the decisions that need to be made in order to begin this work have been made, but the work will begin in the near future. This means that large financial flows will start moving to the regions, and the corresponding work envisaged by these plans should be carried out there.

Of course, I am expecting you to focus on the task at hand. Do not interfere in what people are doing, but monitor the work and the way public – people’s – money is spent. This is extremely important. I am really counting on you. I really am.







We have an innovation in environmental protection. It should have been introduced long ago but we delayed and delayed this, incidentally because of difficult conditions in the economy and insistent demands and requests from the business community. But now starting from January 1, 2019 we began introducing the latest and most accessible technology. The first 300 enterprises should start operating in accordance with these new rules.

These are the so-called first category enterprises that cause the most environmental damage. Starting in 2022 other enterprises in this category should join in.

In this context I would note, as I have already mentioned here, what is an absolutely obvious thing for a professional lawyer: the prosecutor’s office is neither the Government, nor the Economic Development Ministry, nor the Labour Ministry, and it should never be guided by considerations of economic, social, or, even less so, political expediency.

We hear very often that some legal requirement cannot be met for economic, financial or some other reasons. Such things happen. What does this mean?

This means, in part that the Prosecutor-General's Office should aggregate all such moments in the life of society and the state and make proposals to the Government, the Presidential Executive Office and the Federal Assembly and explain to them that such and such provision of law does not work or is impossible to implement. What should the President, the Government and the Federal Assembly do publicly in this case? They must change or cancel this provision of law.

Or else we will land in the same situation we faced in our recent history in the 1990s. At that time a host of regulatory acts that sounded good to ordinary people were adopted and more than half, I can say with confidence, were not or could not have been implemented due to the very difficult financial and economic situation in the country.

What did this mean? Swindling and simply deceiving people. Laws were adopted by people who knew they would never be implemented. A vast number of benefits were announced by those who understood that the budget was unable to foot the bill. We cannot afford to return to this practice by any means.

If it is required to make so-called unpopular but needed decisions it is necessary to go to the people and describe your position publicly and make the decision based on honest dialogue with citizens. Indeed, our people have different levels of education and training but they will always understand honest dialogue.

This is why it is necessary to encourage this conduct, this style of work at all levels of government, including regional authorities, and in this context the prosecutor’s office, the Prosecutor-General’s Office also bears significant responsibility. I would also like to ask Mr Chaika to bear this in mind, to get relevant information from you, systematise it and make proposals on improving the regulatory framework.

I would like to thank you for your work and wish you success. Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60100






Meeting with winners of the Leaders of Russia competition



Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with the winners of the Leaders of Russia national management competition, the final stage of which took place in Sochi on March 17.



March 19, 2019 - 18:00 - The Kremlin, Moscow






The main goal of the competition is to identify, encourage further development and support promising leaders from all over the country, those who have a high level of motivation and management potential.

The finalists have the opportunity to choose a mentor from among top regional officials, CEOs of large companies and public organisations, high-ranking representatives from the Presidential Executive Office, State Duma deputies and Federation Council members.








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends. Let me welcome all of you.

As I see it, you are the winners of a fairly prestigious and increasingly interesting competition called the Leaders of Russia. I understand that the winners of the previous com-petition are also here. You will also tell us about your work after the competition.







I will repeat myself and will do it on purpose – in addition to this competition, we hold other contests and events related to the search for talented, young and promising people motivated by interesting work.







I am very pleased to note that this year we had a record number of applicants for this competition – 227,000 and 300 finalists. All finalists will receive a million rubles, while the 104 winners, also quite a few, will get mentors in addition to the financial prize.







Mentors are very well-versed people with a wealth of experience who have proven themselves through their work and, probably I can put it this way, through their lives. So you will have an interesting time. I hope this will not only be interesting but also practical for various activities.







These include social sector, business, and civil and municipal service. Previous events of this kind show that this is also worth-while for different management levels and various spheres of activity, and for those who take part in these events, the Leaders of Russia competition in our case.

Let’s listen to last year’s winners.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60104






Meeting with Alexei Teksler



March 19, 2019 - 18:15 - The Kremlin, Moscow



Vladimir Putin met with Alexei Teksler whom he appointed Acting Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region by a Presidential Executive Order.








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Teksler, you are aware of the matter that brought you here today. You had interviews before our meeting. You were born in Chelyabinsk and lived there for how long?



Alexei Teksler:

Sixteen and a half years.



Vladimir Putin:

Sixteen and a half years. So, it is your hometown. You lived and worked for a rather long time in a large region. You headed the administration in Norilsk, which is one of our major industrial cities. You have been first deputy minister of energy for six years now. This ministry is one of the leading departments in our system of administration.

You know what we are about to offer you. We want you to head the Chelyabinsk Region. What do you think? This is my first question. My second question, if you agree, what do you see as your priority tasks in terms of developing this extremely important industrial region?

The city itself is big – one million residents, and there are many problems there, including environmental. However, we should not forget about development either, because this is one of the key issue.







Alexei Teksler:

Mr President, I am ready to head the region. Thank you for your confidence in me. For me, these are not empty words. This is my native region, indeed. I was born and raised there. It will be important for me to earn the trust of Chelyabinsk residents and to get their support.

With regard to priorities, the focus will, of course, be on national projects, including the environment. You are right: there are environmental problems in the region that need to be addressed. I will focus on them.

I will also deal with socioeconomic development and improving living standards. There are also roads and agriculture to focus on. This region is both industrial and agricultural. It is imperative to focus on the social sphere as well.

I am ready to start working. I will do my best.







Vladimir Putin:

Are you still in touch with people in the city and the region?



Alexei Teksler:

I have never lost contact with Chelyabinsk and the Chelyabinsk Region. I have my childhood friends and family there, and I do see them regularly. So, of course, I keep in touch with them.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60106






Alexei Teksler appointed Acting Governor of Chelyabinsk Region



Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Early Termination of Chelyabinsk Region Governor’s Mandate. Alexei Teksler was appointed Acting Governor of the region.



March 19, 2019 - 18:20



Following Chelyabinsk Region Governor Boris Dubrovsky’s request for an early termination of his mandate, Vladimir Putin accepted his resignation.

The President also appointed Alexei Teksler Acting Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region until an elected governor takes office.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60107






Meeting with Head of RUSNANO Anatoly Chubais



Vladimir Putin met with Chairman of the Executive Board of RUSNANO Management Company Anatoly Chubais. The discussion focused on the state corporation’s performance results and upcoming plans.



March 19, 2019 - 20:35 - The Kremlin, Moscow








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Chubais, what can you tell us about your company’s performance last year? It was established in 2007, am I right?



Board Chairman of Rusnano Management Company Anatoly Chubais:

Yes, in 2007.



Vladimir Putin:

But you started your investment activities in 2008–2009, didn’t you?



Anatoly Chubais:

Yes, in the 2008–2009 period or a year after the company was set up.



Vladimir Putin:

And since then the accumulated investment value has reached some 216 billion rubles?



Anatoly Chubais:

Yes.



Vladimir Putin:

You focus on 12 sectors, right?



Anatoly Chubais:

Exactly.

Our investment is focused on the real economy sector. Indeed, our active work spans a period of approximately 10 years. We are now reviewing our performance for last year and over the decade as a whole.

When the company was established 10 years ago, you approved the allocation of 130 billion rubles to us. It was our start-up capital.

Mr President, the first and most important result of our work is that the plants, which were built with our funding, have paid 132 billion rubles into the federal budget. This means that the government’s spending has been reimbursed.

These funds have not come out of the blue. They have been produced by the plants we built, 97 plants in all. Some of them are small and others are medium-sized. You attended the launch of one of them in Chelyabinsk. However, big or small, all of these plants are effective and have 39,000 workers.

It is even more important that these facilities are investing in science. They have already invested 42 billion rubles. It was not Rusnano that invested these funds: it would be strange if we invested the funds we received from the budget.

These funds have been invested by the plants, which cannot develop without investing in science. As you know, the state budget contributes a relatively large amount to science, but businesses are not investing enough.

We are proud that our science-intensive plants are investing considerable funds in science. Moreover, investment into science is increasing.



Vladimir Putin:

You operate in 37 regions, don’t you?



Anatoly Chubais:

Yes, we operate in 37 regions.

This is our socio-economic performance, but our auditors are to provide us with official financial results for 2018, which are also positive.

Net profits totalled 5.6 billion rubles, an all-time high for the company. As a result, these profits enable us to pay dividends to the state. Taking into account our profit volumes, we are ready to channel about 550 million rubles’ worth of dividends into the budget.

This is possible because well-established businesses are cost-effective. We are already moving past this stage, and the first investment cycle is ending. These ten years implied that we had chosen a project, invested in it, built a plant with production facilities and launched production. After that, we sell our share and recoup investment expenses.

Regarding the 50-plus projects from which we have withdrawn, their profitability is just over 16 percent. On the whole, this indicator is considered…



Vladimir Putin:

Good.



Anatoly Chubais:

Befitting and good.

Mr President, I would like to say a few words about specific newly-built industries and clusters inside the 12 sectors mentioned by you and to cite three-four examples.

Medicine, nuclear medicine, to be more exact, is one of them. This includes positron-emission tomography; we became the first to launch this project in Russia some seven-eight years ago. Basically, this was in part a wise choice, and we were also lucky, to some extent: it turned out to be a sort of cancer diagnostics ‘golden standard’.

Speaking of oncological diseases, their study is a matter of life and death and patients diagnosed with cancer in its early stages have much better chances of survival than patients with fourth-stage cancer do.

This investment allowed us to build nuclear medicine centres in 11 regions and they have already diagnosed over 100,000 patients.



Vladimir Putin:

In ten regions.



Anatoly Chubais:

Yes, ten regions and 11 cities. It is very important that most of them are covered by the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund. In effect, people are examined free of charge; if, God forbid, they are diagnosed with a serious health disorder, at least this diagnosis is timely.

We are already moving from diagnostics to surgery. We have installed the first so-called cyber-knife system in Ufa. This system performs non-invasive surgery, bloodlessly removing painful tumors without any serious complications, etc.

Generally, we believe nuclear medicine to be an important social area for us. The Healthcare Ministry understands and supports us, too. We are planning to extend to other regions afterwards.

Another direction that I have told you about, that we spoke about once is renewable energy. It was created in our country from scratch.

I believe that the government built an absolutely proper, reasonable system for supporting this industry. Everything was organised in a way that not only supported power generation, but also regulated industrial localisation.

Accordingly, this resulted in the emergence of not only the power industry proper but also the wind and solar power industries, as well as the waste management industry, which I know you focus on a lot. It also resulted in the emergence of a manufacturing sector supplying all these industries with equipment. Last year alone, we built a tower production plant in Taganrog, a wind turbine nacelle plant in Nizhny Novgorod and a wind turbine blade plant in Ulyanovsk. Today, their production of equipment for the Russian wind power engineering industry is well underway.

The development of industry is followed by the development of science – because, once again, none of these industries can exist without the perfecting of the relevant technology. This is also followed by the development of education: today, a total of six Russian universities already have renewable energy departments. All of this forms a whole cluster that includes power generation, industry, education and science.



Vladimir Putin:

What about the solar lanterns that you once told me about? Is that project underway?



Anatoly Chubais:

Well underway, it is a very successful project. Those solar panels of ours have recently been certified; they were one of the top 3 most efficient solar panels in the world, with 22.7 percent power efficiency. Last year – and this is very important for us – for the first time ever, they were exported to Kazakhstan. We won a large tender, and now, apart from implementing this technology in Russia, we are expanding beyond our country’s borders as high technology suppliers.



Vladimir Putin:

Is Viktor Vekselberg working independently from you?



Anatoly Chubais:

No, it is a joint project of ours. We have already sold our share since it reached cost recovery levels. The project continues to develop. We still have the loan, but have already exited and are planning to invest the money in the next development area.

There are two other examples. You have asked businesses to address the issue of natural gas fuel supplies. Together with Gazprom, we plan to establish a fund. Hopefully, we will manage to do this before long and, for a start, we have developed projects for Belgorod and Rostov regions. We are also working on large projects to build petrol stations and plants.



Vladimir Putin:

These are the most costly things to do, as a matter of fact. But after this phase is completed, the competitiveness of the whole complex will dramatically increase.



Anatoly Chubais:

Yes, clearly, this project addresses economic and environmental issues, so it is quite a sensible thing to do. It only needs a slight push to get it off the ground, something we plan to do jointly with Gazprom.

Mr President, at one of our meetings you instructed me to get more actively involved in venture projects to develop the nanoindustry in the Far East.

Together with our colleagues and with support from Mr Trutnev [Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District], we have established the Far Eastern High Technology Fund, which was registered last year. Now we are selecting projects.

In the second quarter of this year, we plan to start funding venture projects in the Far East, naturally, in cooperation with the Far Eastern Federal University and other local universities. We believe this is also an important area of our work.

Allow me to cite one more example – the last one: electric vehicles. We believe the natural gas fuel issues should go hand in hand with electrification plans. In this sense, we are the only ones engaged in this work.

We have built the only plant in the country that manufactures the lithium-ion batteries that enable this technology to work. We are happy that our batteries are being used. St Petersburg was the first to start using them.

These batteries are primarily used in so-called long-travel trolleybuses when a trolley-bus route has to be extended. There is no need to build traction substations and create the entire infrastructure – trolley busses only need to be equipped with these batteries. Alternatively, electric buses running on Russian batteries are gaining in popularity.



Vladimir Putin:

You have gotten as far as Argentina, haven’t you?



Anatoly Chubais:

Yes, we have. We are exporting them, in small amounts, but we take pride in it. We have started exporting small quantities of batteries to Latin America and we are looking forward to creating a cluster in that area.



Vladimir Putin:

Good.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60109






Birthday greetings to Irina Antonova, President of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts



Vladimir Putin sent birthday greetings to President of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts Irina Antonova.



March 20, 2019 - 10:00







The message reads, in part:

“You are known and respected as an outstanding expert, a well-educated, talented and caring person, a true intellectual and devotee. Over the years you have been working in one of the most famous museums in Russia and the world, you have made a unique personal contribution to the preservation of the invaluable historic and spiritual legacy of humankind and the development of museum studies. Today, you continue to work hard to promote culture and education.”

Irina Antonova, Soviet and Russian art expert celebrates her 97th birthday on March 20. She has been working at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts since 1945. She was museum Director from 1961 to 2013 and was appointed museum President in 2013.

Irina Antonova is a full holder of the Order for Services to the Fatherland, winner of the 2017 State Prize of the Russian Federation for outstanding achievements in humanitarian activities and holder of many Soviet, Russian, French, Italian and Japanese awards. She was part of the ICOM (International Council of Museums) management for over 10 years and an initiator of International Museum Day in 1977.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60128
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old March 26th, 2019 #22
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Launch of Kharasaveyskoye gas and condensate field



Vladimir Putin has launched via videoconference the full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye gas and condensate field.



March 20, 2019 - 11:45 - The Kremlin, Moscow






The Kharasaveyskoye field is located in the Yamal Peninsula north of the Bovanenkovskoye field, predominantly onshore and partly in the Kara Sea. The field is classified as unique due to its enormous gas reserves, which amount to 2 trillion cubic meters. Production is scheduled to begin at the field in 2023 with a design capacity of 32 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

Since 20 percent of the reserves are located offshore, horizontal wells will be drilled from onshore to produce gas from the offshore part of the deposit.

The project provides for the construction of a comprehensive gas treatment unit, a booster compressor station and clusters of producing gas wells together with transport and energy infrastructure.

Kharasaveyskoye already has a utility system with accommodation for shift workers and an auxiliary power station.








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Miller, friends, colleagues,

Today we are launching a new and very challenging Gazprom project: the full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye gas and condensate field in the Yamal Peninsula. I congratulate all of you on this landmark achievement and wish you every success in implementing this ambitious project. In fact, we are making one more step towards the comprehensive development of Yamal and the creation of a modern and powerful gas production and processing centre there.

Much has been done towards this goal. Late last year, gas production at the Bovanenkovskoye field reached design capacity. Novatek is successfully implementing its LNG projects. Production facilities, accommodation for shift workers, gas pipelines and transport infrastructure have been built. It is notable that the development of these areas continues.

The development of the Kharasaveyskoye field will open up new prospects for the energy sector, strengthening our export potential and the capability for connecting new users to the gas supply system in Russia, as well as for boosting the national economy as a whole. The field has enormous reserves – nearly 2 trillion cubic metres of gas. Together with the Bovanenkovskoye field, we have 7 trillion cubic metres of gas there. It is a huge reserve. As Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller has told me, these reserves will last until 2131. Taking into consideration that all the gas reserves in the Yamal Peninsula exceed 16 trillion cubic metres, we will be able to work there for decades. These are reserves on a global scale. Just to show you what this means: the Kharasaveyskoye field has more gas than the throughput capacity of one Nord Stream line. These huge reserves for years ahead guarantee the safety and security of energy supplies to the customers both in the country and to our partners abroad, as I have said.

Of course, there is hard, challenging work ahead to develop the field. But I am confident that our professionals will achieve all these goals in the best possible manner, especially since we have accumulated considerable experience when it comes to the implementation of such large-scale projects.

I would like to wish you good luck with your endeavours and all the very best.

Please.



Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller:

Mr President,

We are now in the accommodation area for the shift workers at the Kharasaveyskoye field. It was here back in 1974 that the first well was drilled, which today supplies gas to the control flare and provides heat and electricity to the small gas workers’ settlement. Today we would like to honour the pioneers. They have lived and worked here in very difficult conditions. We suggest watching a video about the history of the Kharasaveyskoye field.

(Video shown.)

Mr President, Gazprom is ready to begin full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye field. We have direct connection with Director General of Gazprom Dobycha Nadym Sergei Menshikov, who will report on the readiness for launch.



Vladimir Putin:

Go ahead please, Mr Menshikov.







Sergei Menshikov:

Mr President, Mr Miller,

Director General of Gazprom Dobycha Nadym Sergei Menshikov reporting here. I am at the Bovanenkovskoye oil and gas condensate field, at gas production unit No.3. After its launch in December of last year, the Bovanenkovskoye field reached its target production level. Kharasaveyskoye is going to be next. In less than three months, we have built a temporary motorway – a winter road that connected Kharasaveyskoye and Bovanenkovskoye. Its length is over 100 kilometres, and today the first batch of construction and auxiliary equipment will be delivered along this main road.



Alexei Miller:

Mr President, please give the go ahead for moving the machinery from the Bovanenkovsky field to the Kharasaveyskoye field.



Vladimir Putin:

Go ahead.



Sergei Menshikov:

Attention! Convoy to start towards the Kharasaveyskoye field.

There are more than 30 units of equipment in the convoy – bulldozers, tipper lorries, excavators, pipe layers, heavy lorries, personnel vehicles and a welding unit. All this equipment is necessary to launch start-up production at the Kharasaveyskoye field according to the plan for 2019.

The equipment is delivered along the winter road. The main difference between winter roads and permanent roads is that winter roads have no roadbed filling; therefore, it is lower than the average ground elevation. It is more difficult to drive on because of such natural obstacles as snowdrifts and blizzards. This explains the strict safety requirements for winter road traffic. For example, vehicles are only allowed to move on winter roads in organised trains.

The training of drivers is also important. These are usually top professionals with extensive experience of working in the Extreme North. We have calculated that the aggregate northern service record of the drivers who are working at the Kharasaveyskoye field is over 400 years.

The winter road laid for the field crosses six bodies of water, across which we have created ice crossings. We have installed special markers with light reflectors and rescue equipment on each ice crossing. The speed limit on ice bridges is 5 km/h. The average speed of the snow train today will be about 20 km/h.

There will be two maintenance stops at warming centres on the winter road. The estimated time for reaching the Kharasaveyskoye field is eight hours.

This concludes my report.







Alexei Miller:

Mr President, the project to develop the Kharasaveyskoye field will involve 5,500 construction workers and 2,000 units of equipment, the sinking of 236 wells, the use of six fifth-generation domestically produced Yekaterina drilling rigs, which have been working effectively and reliably at the Bovanenkovskoye deposit, as well as a heavy-duty Bentec rig.

It should be said that 20 percent of the Kharasaveyskoye reserves are located offshore, which is why horizontal wells will be drilled from onshore to produce gas from the offshore part of the deposit. In other words, Gazprom is launching the development of the Yamal shelf.

Seeking to optimise costs, it has been decided to align the design solutions for the Kharasaveyskoye project with those that have been already applied at the Bovanenkovskoye field. I am referring to a comprehensive gas treatment unit with a capacity of 32 billion cubic metres and the 150MW booster compressor station.

It has to be emphasised that only domestically produced equipment will be used at the Kharasaveyskoye field. A 106-kilometre gas pipeline will be built to ship gas from Kharasavey. It will be 1,400 millimetres in diameter. This pipeline will go through Bovanenkovskoye and then on to the Bovanenkovskoye-Ukhta gas mainline.

The project to develop the Kharasaveyskoye field is expected to last 108 years, which means that gas extraction will continue in Kharasavey up until the year 2131.

If you look behind me, you can see Gazprom’s advance team, including welders, installation workers, drillers, excavator operators and electricians. These are our most reliable workers. There is no doubt that these people can deliver on any task.

Mr President, Gazprom has launched the full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye field.







Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.

Mr Novak, go ahead please.



Minister of Energy Alexander Novak:

Mr President,

Allow me to report that the launch of the full-scale development of the Kharasaveyskoye gas and condensate field fully conforms to Russia’s strategy for the gas sector, as well as the master facility layout. The launch of this large-scale project in the Arctic also fully conforms to the project’s licensing life. Once operational, it will offset output reductions in the Nadym-Pur-Tazovsky region, and is also expected to produce additional volumes for export and domestic markets.

The Russian Government introduced additional incentives in 2014 for the development of the Arctic region, including amendments to the Tax Code for stimulating the development of Arctic gas fields. This includes mineral extraction tax breaks: the tax burden will be reduced by 80 percent during the first few years and will be gradually increased over a period of 12 years.

This is a large-scale project that will serve as an additional development driver for the entire Arctic region. Thank you.







Vladimir Putin:

Friends, we all know that by the year 2030 Yamal’s gas output will have reached 310 bcm – 360 bcm that will be supplied to domestic and export markets, along the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. This will require monumental efforts and promises a lot of interesting work ahead. Congratulations to all of you on the launch and I would like to wish you all every success.

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60113






Meeting with Oleg Khorokhordin



The President held a working meeting with Oleg Khorokhordin to inform him of the decision to appoint him Acting Head of the Republic of Altai.



March 20, 2019 - 11:50 - The Kremlin, Moscow








The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60111






Meeting with Batu Khasikov



The President held a meeting with Batu Khasikov to inform him of the decision to appoint him Acting Head of the Republic of Kalmykia.



March 20, 2019 - 12:10 - The Kremlin, Moscow








The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60115






Meeting with Government members



The President held a regular meeting with Government members.



March 20, 2019 - 12:50 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

I have something to tell you before we begin. We are aware of the political events that are unfolding in a neighboring country, which is our closest ally. They are about changes in the political leadership. We hope that continuity will be ensured. As Nursultan Nazarbayev left his top state post, we have every reason to thank him for his cooperation and wish him good health and every success. (Applause.)

He is one of the initiators of advanced integration between our countries. He is one of those behind the EAEU, and I can even go as far as saying that the EAEU was his brainchild. This association is very successful partly thanks to his direct support and his participation in this effort. For our part, we will do our best to maintain these processes.

As you are aware, a couple of days ago we and the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol marked the fifth anniversary of Crimea and Sevastopol’s reunification with Russia. You may be aware that I had a number of meetings with representatives of the public while I was there, and people had some questions. Indeed, much has been done, but there are other also questions, which I will deal with later.

Before we start discussing these issues, I would like to say this: as you may recall, an initiative was put forward during the annual Address to the Federal Assembly. It was about mortgage payment holidays for borrowers in difficult situations, who find it challenging to make their loan payments at some point.

As a general rule, the law is not retroactive, and this means that new legal obligations can only come about after the adoption of the relevant law. But, unfortunately for us, we did not specify this. This is partly my fault; I failed to state it explicitly, and people naturally assumed that the tax holiday would apply to all mortgage loans, including those issued earlier. But, as people say, the spoken word takes flight. Therefore, I am asking you to implement it in this format.

Let us do this as an exception. I spoke with the Governor of the Central Bank, and the Central Bank supports this decision. So when adopting the law, I ask the State Duma deputies to assume that the mortgage tax holiday will apply to all mortgage loans, including those issued earlier. This is the first question. I would appreciate it if Mr Gornin commented on this matter. Go ahead, please.







First Deputy Minister of Finance Leonid Gornin:

Thank you.

Mr President, colleagues,

In fact, making mortgage loans more widely available is probably one of the key objectives of this national programme. Securing the right to a mortgage holiday is probably a very important and timely decision, a relevant decision for the further development of mortgage lending in the Russian Federation. Therefore, we certainly support this decision regarding the extension of the draft law to existing mortgage agreements.



Vladimir Putin:

Good, thank you.

And please, talk it over with the State Duma deputies. I am sure they will have no doubts, they will certainly support this.

Ms Golodets, please review the Winter Universiade for us.







Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets:

Mr President, Mr Prime Minister,

We have completed the 29th Winter Universiade, which the Russian Federation hosted for the first time. Importantly, it was held in the very centre of Siberia, the city of Krasnoyarsk.

Our Universiade has set several records: we received top marks from FISU (International University Sports Federation), which sent official thanks and noted that it was the best event in the history of the winter Universiades.

We saw record figures for the number of participating countries. The Winter Universiade was entered by 58 countries, which was a first. Such countries as Switzerland, Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States had teams exceeding 115 athletes. In other words, they had a full complement of athletes in all sports.

Competitions were held in 11 sports for 76 sets of medals. All teams had leaders and key members who were already known in the world sports arena. For example, France was represented by the leader in the Freestyle Ski World Cup team rating Perrine Laffont, as well as World Cup winner Benjamin Cavet. Mai Mihara from Japan is the world champion in figure skating. Therefore, our victory looks all the more impressive. We faced worthy competitors, which makes our results look even better.

I would like to remind you that athletes competed for 76 sets of medals. Russian athletes took 41 gold, 39 silver and 32 bronze medals.

It was very important for us that for the first time we posted excellent results in sports where our success had been fairly modest before. These are freestyle, alpine skiing, speed skating and short track. This is the result of the consistent development of our infrastructure and our coaching school.

For example, our Yekaterina Yefimenkova (short track) set a new record at the Universiade. She covered 500 m in 43.2 seconds. This is an absolute record at the Universiade.

Brand-new infrastructure has been built in Krasnoyarsk that will allow us to make a real breakthrough in freestyle and snowboarding – sports that are very popular with our young people. The new school was being formed even during the Universiade, and today we note that many parents are trying to enroll their children in these sports. There are already 600 children and after the Universiade, this school will admit more children and they will practice on the upgraded infrastructure in accordance with the world training system.

The infrastructure is ready and after the Universiade, we will implement the Universiade Legacy programme that has been adopted. The Federal Siberian University will receive a new campus, a very good one, and the new Raduga training base. A new federal training centre will be established at the Sopka base. So thank you very much.







Vladimir Putin:

All right, I would like to congratulate you, first of all, to congratulate the athletes on the results, and thank all the organisers.



Olga Golodets:

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Let us return to the issue I began with, Crimea and Sevastopol.

A lot has been done in the past five years to integrate Crimea and Sevastopol into Russia from a legal, economic and social standpoint. A lot of attention has been paid and money allocated for infrastructure projects and transport. Major work continues.

Recently during the celebrations, as you may know, two powerful power stations with a total capacity of 940 MW have been launched, accounting for 90 percent of current energy consumption. In general, our energy capacity has almost doubled. This is a lot. This not only fully meets the demand of Crimea and Sevastopol, but also makes it possible to provide electricity to other Russian regions, if needed. At least, as of today, we can reduce the load on the energy bridge that was created before and can provide 850 MW of electricity to Crimea and Sevastopol.

The Taurida thoroughfare is under construction. I hope that today our colleagues will report on the progress. As a result of improved transport accessibility, tourist numbers are growing, reaching seven million last year. Other tasks are being addressed, too.

At the same time, there are problems, and we know this. People told me about this during our meetings; first of all, this concerns raising the incomes of people living in Crimea and Sevastopol. This topic was not raised, to be honest, but this problem exists and we know that it is necessary to adjust prices for some products. Some, but not all of them. However, there are certain groups of goods, including foods, such as dairy products, which cost more in Crimea and Sevastopol than in nearby regions, and we also have to think about this. We must think about the development of healthcare and education.

There are many issues, and I suggest discussing them today and making the necessary decisions to move forward at the rate that we and people who live in Crimea and Sevastopol need.

I will ask Mr Aksyonov to begin, please.







Head of the Crimea Republic Sergei Aksyonov:

Mr President, colleagues,

In fact, in the five years since returning to its historical motherland, Crimea has made a breakthrough; this is true. There is both great success and, of course, problems, which you have mentioned, but most of them are being addressed.

I am certain that the peace and interethnic cooperation that was achieved after your executive order on reinstating those who were deported from the republic because of their ethnicity is the basis of Crimea’s successful socioeconomic development. As of today, all surveys show that over 90 percent of citizens find the level of interethnic and inter-confessional relations in the Republic of Crimea to be positive.

At the same time, of course, Crimea’s budget revenue growth accounts for the main share of socioeconomic development. We have managed to change the situation over the five years. Crimea’s own revenue has grown over 2.5 times compared with the best periods when Crimea was part of Ukraine: 22 billion rubles is the best result between 2010 and 2013, the highest number, reached with aid from Kiev, by the way; meanwhile last year revenue, including tax revenue, in Crimea was almost 50 billion rubles (which is exemplar), with some 120 billion rubles of federal aid provided each year as part of the federal strategic programme and other state programmes approved by federal bodies.

Thanks to this, we have managed to increase funding compared to the Ukrainian period, 2.5 times in the social sphere, 3 times in education, 3.5 times in culture, four times in sports and almost 23 times in environmental programmes because this area had received almost no funding at all. Last year we finished with a small budget surplus of 39 million, which is the result of our joint activities with the federal authorities. This is an impressive number for us. And this year the Crimean budgets at all levels will be debt-neutral, including the republic’s overall budget.

At the same time, the list of issues of main concern, including those under your supervision, primarily includes issues of healthcare. In the course of the past five years, a whole range of government programmes has been implemented in the Republic of Crimea – this includes the federal targeted programme. Within the framework of this programme, a new 12-storey hospital with a total capacity of 734 beds is currently being built in Simferopol on your instructions. It will be put into operation later this year and will have the most sophisticated equipment. Together with the Healthcare Ministry, we have addressed every task on the agenda in this regard. In the city of Yalta, a new complex of the city hospital has recently been put into operation. It cost a total of 1 billion rubles, allocated from the federal budget. We have achieved the highest level of high-tech medical care.

In 2014, only 800 people in total had access to high-tech medical care. Last year, however, this number reached 12,000 people. Within the framework of state programmes, a total of over 9 billion rubles were allocated from the federal and regional budgets, over 5,700 pieces of equipment were bought, 62 new remote medical and obstetric centres and outpatient facilities were built, and 53 healthcare facilities were partially renovated out of the planned 85. We continue to move forward in this direction.

The results of our work are reflected in a general 7.5 percent decline in the mortality rate compared to 2013; the most important indicator is a 40 percent decline in child mortality and an average two-year increase in life expectancy. We received a total of 250 new ambulances, almost reaching the target goal. All of these issues were taken care of, with no exception.

Speaking of education, out of 552 Crimean schools, over 300 have undergone complete or partial renovation and over 250 have received new equipment. In the course of the past years, we created a total of 22,000 spots in children’s pre-school facilities, while under Ukraine’s control, practically none had been created; practically none existed. Within the framework of the national projects, we will be able to provide everyone with spots in pre-school facilities, including nurseries; there is no doubt of that. Last year, we also replaced windows in a total of almost 140 schools. All this means that work in this area is being continuously carried out.







There are advances in agriculture. Thanks to support from the federal authorities, Rosagroleasing succeeded in upgrading farming equipment. Over the past several years, Crimean agricultural workers received 1,700 new pieces of harvesting and sowing equipment. Thanks go to our colleagues from the Russian Federation Ministry of Agriculture. Rosagroleasing received over 4.4 billion rubles. As of today, new equipment in the republic makes up over 50 percent of the entire machinery fleet.

Accordingly, support for agriculture from the federal centre, and partially from the republic, totaled over 9 billion rubles over the past five years, which made it possible to fully meet the needs of the Republic of Crimea in poultry, eggs, and, partly, in vegetables.

Of course, these issues have not been fully resolved, even though there is some progress. Pork supplies to the domestic market increased significantly. Today, we cover 68 percent of our needs as opposed to 30 percent at most during Ukrainian times. We have been meeting all the needs of the Republic of Crimea in fruit and berries over the past five years.

Mr President, you have already mentioned the situation with transport. The Crimean Bridge opened to traffic last year under your executive orders and thanks to your support. To date, 4.9 million vehicles have crossed it in both directions. The railway section of the Crimean Bridge will be launched by the end of this year, which will partially address the issues that you have mentioned in your opening remarks regarding an increase in food prices and, to some extent, in building materials. I am sure that prices will then come in line with the average for the Russian Federation.

Simferopol Airport was very instrumental in this regard. The new airport has seen 5 million passengers to date. This is a huge number. Therefore, last year we received a large number of tourists, with almost 6.8 million of them visiting the peninsula. Of course, there is still work to be done in this area.

The construction of the Tavrida Motorway is underway; the federal authorities and the Ministry of Transport are overseeing the project in conjunction with our colleagues. We are on schedule. A two-lane road to Simferopol is now open to traffic. This will significantly reduce traffic, primarily outside the town of Primorsky and the city of Feodosia, where people got stuck in traffic for up to three hours last year, which detrimental for the overall situation.

As for energy, Mr President, you know the situation here better than I do. Thanks to the two new gas turbine TPPs, we have become completely energy-independent over this period. That is, taking into account the energy bridge, today Crimea has more than 2000 MW, which is more than enough to support development. The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation has done quite a bit of work; the main gas pipeline from mainland Russian Federation has been built with a throughput capacity of 2.2 – 4 billion cubic metres. This volume will indeed make us feel secure, and will be a basis for development, since we also produce 1.6 billion cubic metres of gas annually. That is, the situation today is fully stabilised, and all issues related to the independence of our energy system have been resolved in full.

At present, two regional operators have started to implement environmental projects. We are already achieving the requirements of the programmes that other Russian regions are implementing. We have established average waste management rates, which are even lower than last year – 50 rubles per person in the city and 40 rubles per person in the rural areas. At the same time, the waste accumulation rate (the approved average again) was 2.4 cubic metres per resident per year in the cities, and 1.8 cubic metres in rural areas.

We have reached agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and are now drawing up a plan as part of the programme and the national projects; two plants will be built for sorting, recycling and partially burying the so-called tailings. Mr Kobylkin and I have discussed the technology; there is an understanding, and we are aiming for the federal standard.







As for water supply, today, 77 percent of the population receives clean, high-quality water. As for the remaining 23 percent who still have poor-quality water, our plans to bring the supply of quality water to 100 percent will be implemented as part of the national projects; the money has been allocated and accounted for.

As part of the national projects, the Government of the Republic of Crimea has executed 66 agreements with the federal authorities and developed 46 regional programmes worth a total of 78 billion rubles. The Government of the Russian Federation has allocated the money; we are fully aware of the total amount of work to be done. I am sure that most of these problems that you have identified today in your introductory remarks, will also be resolved through the implementation of these projects.

This is a short report, Mr President, on the five-year period since our reunification with our historic homeland. I would like to express my appreciation of the huge cooperative, collective work of the Government of the Russian Federation; without it, nothing would have happened, without the Russian lawmaker, and of course, your personal support. Many thanks.

In general, we understand that tremendous work has been done, but we have yet to retake the road that you identified for error correction. We will work together.

My report is over, Mr President.

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.

Mr Ovsyannikov, go ahead, please.







Governor of Sevastopol Dmitry Ovsyannikov:

Mr President, colleagues,

Since the historic return of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation, the city's development has received a powerful boost. It has gained the opportunity to revive its infrastructure, build new social facilities and resolve other problems.

In the last five years, the region has been integrated into Russia’s economy and legal system. The region has established essential legislative and regulatory foundations and developed durable economic ties with Russian regions.

Here are a few figures. In the past five years, the region’s economy grew by 80 percent and by 20 percent in 2018 alone. According to the Finance Ministry, we rank eighth in the development of the economic potential among Russian regions.

Our industrial enterprises are being utilised. In five years, our industrial production went up by 150 percent and by 29 percent last year alone. Agricultural production increased by 54 percent over five years.

Small and medium-size business is making rapid headway. It employs over 47,000 people. Tax revenues went up by 43 percent in the past year alone.

In the past five years, investment in fixed assets increased 10 times, exceeding 40 billion rubles in 2018. Importantly, the share of private investment reached 46 percent.

The budget of Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea is becoming more self-sufficient. Personal incomes are 1.7 times higher than in 2014. During all these years, the unemployment rate in Sevastopol was one of the lowest at 0.2 percent, while the number of people employed in the economy has grown by 15 percent.

Sevastopol is one of the country’s most rapidly growing cities. In five years, its population grew by 15 percent. In the rating of Russian cities by quality of life, Sevastopol went from 71st place in 2015 to 20th place in 2018. The average salary in the region is 2.3 times higher than it was five year ago.

During the past few years, Sevastopol has been implementing a major programme to improve the quality of the urban environment. Over 20 parks and squares have been upgraded, more than 500 sports and children’s grounds have been built and almost 400 courtyards repaired. According to the Construction Ministry, Sevastopol is on the list of Russia’s 20 most livable cities.

The region’s housing capital repair programme is now fully underway. It includes one in every five buildings, more than 800 blocks of flats. We ranked twelfth in Russia for this programme in 2018.

Over the past three years, eight kindergartens, newly built or reopened after major repairs, took in more than 4,000 children; general education and music schools opened, and twice as many children can holiday in camps in Sevastopol. This progress was achieved even though the number of schoolchildren has grown by 35 percent since 2014, and the number of preschoolers, by 46 percent.







The quality of healthcare services is one of the cornerstones of improving the quality of life. The equipment and services are being updated; more than 2,000 units of cutting-edge medical equipment have been installed; and the ambulance fleet has been completely replaced. Medical care has become more accessible in rural areas, with 14 rural health centres and emergency aid stations opened; the mortality rate, including infants, has decreased – we ranked second in Russia in 2018. Patient satisfaction with healthcare institutions has increased by 24 percent in three years.

We are also improving roads — over 195 kilometres out of 1,000 have been repaired. Public transport has been significantly updated; more than 300 new trolleybuses and buses are in service now. In two years, the number of traffic fatalities has been more than halved. The construction of the Taurida Motorway and the reconstruction of the road to Kamyshovaya Bay are in progress; other major motorways and interchanges are being designed in the city.

Over the past five years, 825,000 square metres of new housing have been commissioned. This year we rank first among the regions of the Southern Federal District in terms of growth rate. We have launched a systematic urban development programme; we have approved a strategy for socio-economic development until 2030, including 20 regional state programmes to build more than 200 facilities, funded through federal targeted programmes.

You mentioned the problems that worry people in Sevastopol, and in Crimea in general – above all, the high prices of food. The solution here may be new chain stores coming to the local market and the construction of a wholesale management centre.

Social infrastructure, healthcare, depreciation of buildings, poor quality equipment in hospitals, substandard medical doctor skills and personnel shortages remain extremely acute issues for the residents of the city. Roads as well as housing and utilities continue to cause daily concerns for citizens. Last year, we received some support from the Moscow Government. After meeting with you and Mr Sobyanin [Moscow Mayor], we joined our efforts and focused on bringing the existing healthcare, education, sports and culture infrastructure up to code. We started urban improvements.

The commissioning of blocks of flats built with various code violations is another major problem in Sevastopol. The legal chaos of previous years now has us looking for solutions that would protect the interests of the residents.

In closing, I would like to ask you to support the solutions that are truly important for the city. Creating one of the 15 federal research and educational centres at Sevastopol State University is of key importance to us. The long-term spatial development of the city involves the construction of the new Gerakleiskaya Lateral Motorway and a bridge across Sevastopol Bay.

Integrating Sevastopol manufacturing enterprises into major Russian holding companies proved its effectiveness, brought new orders to these enterprises and made it possible to begin technical upgrades. Now, in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport, we are preparing similar solutions for the Sevastopol seaport.

We would like the implementation period of the state programme for the socioeconomic development of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to be extended considering there is a number of sites, the construction of which will take longer than the period indicated in the federal targeted programme. There are your decisions to this effect. Crimea and Sevastopol need these facilities.

Mr President, colleagues,

We, the people of Sevastopol, are keenly aware of your support and help. With the TPP now operational, our region enjoys total energy security and good potential for development. The Taurida Motorway will increase the transport accessibility of the city of Sevastopol many times over and will give a powerful boost to the city's development. We are ready to discuss these issues, of which we have quite a backlog now, but we are confident that we will be able to clear it in full.

Thank you. That concludes my report.







Vladimir Putin:

The TPP alone will give you 500 million rubles in additional revenue to the budget of Sevastopol and 500 million rubles in additional revenue to the budget of the Republic of Crimea.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60116






Meeting with Denis Pasler



March 21, 2019 - 11:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow













The President held a working meeting with Denis Pasler to inform him of the decision to appoint him Acting Governor of Orenburg Region.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60123






Meeting with Andrei Chibis



March 21, 2019 - 11:50 - The Kremlin, Moscow













The President held a working meeting with Andrei Chibis to inform him of the decision to appoint him Acting Governor of Murmansk Region.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60124






Greetings on opening of sixth Trans-Siberian Art Festival



Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to the organisers, participants and guests of the sixth Trans-Siberian Art Festival that began in Novosibirsk.



March 21, 2019 - 14:00



The message reads, in part:

“Your forum is always held on a high creative note and is rightfully known for its rich programme and famous participants.

By closing the gap and expanding its presence, it acquaints Russian and foreign audiences with classical music masterpieces and gives first performances of contemporary works. And, of course, performances by ballet, opera and theatre masters are the true gems of this festival.

I would like to note the important educational and charitable mission of the Art Festival as well as its significant contribution to the development of international humanitarian ties, professional and personal contacts and to strengthening trust and mutual understanding between people.

I am confident that both the participants and guests at the forum will remember these amazing days filled with creative joy and friendly communication.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60129






Meeting with permanent members of Security Council



Vladimir Putin chaired a briefing meeting with permanent members of the Security Council.



March 22, 2019 - 13:40 - The Kremlin, Moscow







The meeting participants exchanged opinions on a wide range of issues concerning the Middle East settlement, noting that the highly unstable and continuously tense situation in the region must not be provoked by ill-advised actions and statements of the countries directly related to the settlement process.










Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu informed the participants on the results of his trip to Syria as well as the nature of his contacts with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.










Pressing socioeconomic matters were also discussed.













The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60132






Congratulations to Alina Zagitova, winner of the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan



Vladimir Putin congratulated Alina Zagitova on her victory at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan.



March 22, 2019 - 18:30







The message reads, in part:

“Your victory was beautiful, technically skilled and confident. You performed your programme in one breath and won over millions of fans and spectators with your complete mastery. Such victorious achievements bring sport glory to our country. Good job!

I know that today world championship gold was added to your impressive collection of world-class awards for the first time. I am sure that with your ability to prepare, and your confidence and strength of character, you can take on the most difficult and ambitious challenges and goals.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60138






Greetings to Bashkiria residents on the Republic’s centenary



The President sent a message of greetings to residents of Bashkiria on the 100th anniversary of the Republic’s establishment.



March 23, 2019 - 11:00



The message reads, in part:

“Greetings on this significant anniversary – the centenary of the establishment of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

This event was a milestone in the history of nation building in our country and played a significant part in the life of Bashkortostan by contributing to its economic development, preserving its original traditions, and the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the ethnic groups residing in the republic.

Today Bashkortostan is rightly regarded to be among the leading regions. Largely due to the creative work of the residents and well-conceived decisions in leadership, the republic is expanding its innovative potential. Conditions for considerable investment are being established here, relevant projects are being pursued in industry and agriculture, energy, and social and transport infrastructure. All those large-scale initiatives serve to enhance the well-being of the people and improve the quality of living.

I am confident that love for your homeland, sincere desire to contribute to its prosperity, mutual respect and concord will continue to help you in meeting the goals set in the interests of the Republic of Bahskortostan and the whole of Russia.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60139
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old April 2nd, 2019 #23
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Talks with President of Lebanon Michel Aoun



Vladimir Putin held talks at the Kremlin with President of the Lebanese Republic Michel Aoun, who is in Russia on an official visit.



March 26, 2019 - 18:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow







The talks were attended on the Russian side by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin. Attending on the Lebanese side were Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Gebran Bassil and Senior Presidential Aide Mirei Aoun al-Hashem.

Following the talks the two leaders adopted a Joint Statement on Further Developing and Strengthening the Relations of Friendship and Cooperation between Lebanon and Russia.








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President, friends and colleagues,

We are very happy to welcome you to Moscow.

Lebanon is our traditional longtime partner in the Middle East and North Africa. We maintain relations with the leaders of your country and representatives of different political forces and religions. We are happy to see you in Moscow both as the President of the country and a representative of the Christian community.







This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. This country, the Soviet Union at that time, was one of the first to recognize Lebanon’s independence.

Mr President, I would like to emphasise once again that we are happy to see you in our country. Welcome.







President of the Lebanese Republic Michel Aoun (retranslated):

Mr President, thank you very much.

I would also like to note the long-term nature of our relations that are more than a hundred years old. Of course, there was an interval when they broke up, but we will work in the hope that they will only grow stronger at present and in the future.







We highly value the position of Russia, your stance in defence of religious minorities in the East. It goes without saying that we are living through hard times now and would therefore like to have your support.







We held a number of meetings with representatives from Russian business circles yesterday and today, and these meetings were very useful, We hope they will promote economic cooperation.







Regrettably, today we heard the news that the United States has recognised the Golan Heights as part of Israel. Naturally, this undermines the foundations and principles of the UN and international law since the founding of this organisation. This is the second time that we are seeing how one state simply takes away occupied territories in this region. This is certainly a source of serious concern for the countries that are in the direct vicinity of Israel. We hope a settlement to this problem will be found in the near future.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60146






Telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.



March 26, 2019 - 20:40



Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko discussed current aspects of Russian-Belarusian relations with an emphasis on the development of cooperation within the Union State. They also touched on integration processes within the Eurasian Economic Union.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60149






Greetings on the opening of the first Forum of Russian and Kyrgyzstani university rectors, Development of Science and Education is an Investment in the Future



Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to the participants and guests of the first Forum of Russian and Kyrgyzstani university rectors, Development of Science and Education is an Investment in the Future.



March 27, 2019 - 16:40



The message reads, in part:

“Holding such an event is, of course, much welcomed. A direct dialogue between the two states’ universities provides great opportunities for develop cooperation in education and science and helps strengthen bilateral humanitarian ties, which have traditionally been an important element of Russian-Kyrgyzstani strategic partnership.

You will exchange practical experience in teaching, research and organisational work and discuss prospects of implementing joint projects, both bilateral and within the Eurasian integration processes. It is important to think together about how to preserve and multiply our common intellectual, cultural and spiritual heritage.

I am confident that your discussions will be interesting and substantive, and help you outline new forms and methods of cooperation between Russian and Kyrgyzstani universities. And, of course, they will strengthen the friendship and understanding between our people.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60155






Greetings to 10th Mstislav Rostropovich International Festival



Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to the organisers, participants and guests of the 10th Mstislav Rostropovich International Festival.



March 27, 2019 - 18:00



The message reads, in part:

“This festival was established to commemorate an outstanding musician, a vibrant, talented, extraordinary man, and a great devotee. The list of the Maestro’s undeniable accomplishments includes creating a foundation for cultural and humanitarian programmes that, for many years, has been successfully supporting the professional development of young talents, helping them find their way as artists.

Today, many popular educational, mentoring, and charity initiatives spearheaded by the foundation are being implemented, and many large-scale celebratory events, like this wonderful festival, are being held.

Over the years, it has brought together powerful creative forces, garnered prestige and recognition, and become a great and memorable event in the cultural life of our country and the world.

I am sure that this year’s festival will be held at a high level, and that it will treat its guests to a full, sumptuous concert programme and an all-star line-up.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60156






State visit to Kyrgyzstan



Vladimir Putin made a state visit to Kyrgyzstan at the invitation of President Sooronbay Jeenbekov.



March 28, 2019 - 11:40 - Bishkek







The official welcoming ceremony was followed by talks. The presidents of Russia and Kyrgyzstan met in the restricted format before continuing talks with participation of their respective delegations.













The discussion focused on current state and prospects for developing relations of strategic partnership and alliance, as well as enhancing interaction within regional associations in light of Kyrgyzstan’s presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.













Following the talks, the two presidents signed a Joint Statement of the President of the Russian Federation and the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. In addition, an exchange of intergovernmental, interdepartmental, interregional and commercial documents signed during the state visit took place in the presence of Vladimir Putin and Sooronbay Jeenbekov. In particular, the documents concern the development of the oil and gas and oil processing industries as well as the railway network in Kyrgyzstan, cooperation in supplying crude oil and refined products, trade and economic cooperation, exchange of best practices in the implementation of national projects, the status of and conditions for stationing a joint Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan, comprehensive geological exploration, restoration of Kyrgyzstan’s mineral resources, and cooperation in education and sports.













The two leaders also made statements for the press.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60157






Conversation with President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov



March 28, 2019 - 09:45








President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov:

Mr President, welcome to the Kyrgyz Republic.

We heartily greet you and are delighted to see you here. We appreciate your state visit.







Kyrgyz people know you and value you as a true, close and reliable friend. We are always happy when you and our Russian friends come to visit us. To us, Russia is a reliable, close and loyal ally and an important long-term strategic partner, and we value the relations with the Russian Federation a lot.







Through your personal support our bilateral relations have reached a whole new level. Last year we met several times, and this is our second meeting this year. Each meeting gives a boost to our development. We very much appreciate Russia’s support in our country’s adaptation to the EAEU environment. I would like to thank you for the assistance you provided to our Armed Forces. We will always strive to strengthen the friendly relations between our countries.

Welcome to Kyrgyzstan. Please, the floor is yours.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Thank you very much.

First of all, I would like to thank you, Mr President, for the invitation. We had a meeting not so long ago and discussed current issues. I am delighted that today we can continue our dialogue. I can say the same about Kyrgyzstan: it is our reliable ally and strategic partner, which is very telling, and therefore we have worked and will work both in the bilateral format and on international platforms.







We just talked about a major international event that Kyrgyzstan will soon organize, a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. I am sure that it will be held at a high level.







At the beginning of our conversation I would like to emphasise that thanks to your efforts, the atmosphere in Kyrgyzstan is calm and stable which allows for addressing social and economic issues. I think this is what we should focus on today.

Thank you again for the invitation.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/60158






Russia-Kyrgyzstan talks in expanded format



March 28, 2019 - 11:00 - Bishkek







President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov:

Mr President, friends,

Welcome to the Kyrgyz Republic. Please accept our heartfelt greetings. We are delighted to see you.

Mr President, first of all, I would like to say how much I appreciate your making this state visit to Kyrgyzstan. I am pleased to note the high level and active dynamics of our bilateral cooperation.

We are expanding and deepening our cooperation in trade, industrial production, transport and migration. Our military and military-technical cooperation is gradually progressing. Thank you for your assistance for the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan. We appreciate your decision to announce the migration amnesty for Kyrgyz citizens once again. It greatly supports our fellow nationals in Russia.

Just now, during a restricted meeting, we confirmed our mutual understanding concerning all the issues on the agenda. Thank you, Mr President, for the support and understanding of our initiatives.







Friends, recently our cooperation has become closer through a number of top-level bilateral meetings. We also successfully held a meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

The First Forum of Russian and Kyrgyzstani University Rectors rounded up yesterday. A large-scale interregional conference is underway right now, which aims to build up the potential of our regions and establish direct contacts between the constituent entities of our countries.

Following Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union, our relations have reached a qualitatively new level. Kyrgyzstan highly appreciates Russia’s assistance in the amount of $200 million for the country’s adaptation to the EAEU environment.

I would like to particularly mention the timely establishment of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, which has financially supported a number of projects for the development of the republic’s economy.

I am certain that today’s meeting will allow us to compare our views, determine our further steps and the course of our cooperation. As always, this meeting will take place in the spirit of alliance and strategic partnership. Today we will sign an extensive package of documents concerning various aspects of our relations.

Mr President, please.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President,

Friends, colleagues,

On behalf of the entire Russian delegation, I would like to thank you for your invitation to pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan. I am certain that our work will be productive and helpful to the further development of relations between Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation.

The trade and economy always require special attention. I am pleased to note that in this field we have seen a positive trend. The trade between our countries is constantly growing. We noted a strong impact of Kyrgyzstan’s joining our leading integration process, the EAEU. The trade between Kyrgyzstan and the EAEU members is constantly growing. But also in terms of bilateral relations, you have just mentioned the spheres in which we are involved together and which we discussed both one-on-one and at the restricted format meeting. In addition to the economy, these areas include cultural, humanitarian and educational contacts. Several thousand young Kyrgyz specialists are studying in Russia. We agree with your proposal to announce the next few years the years of the Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation. We will continue to give our full attention to these matters.

Right now, a big and representative delegation of rectors of Russian higher education institutions is visiting Kyrgyzstan. There is also a big “landing party” of Russian regional heads: governors from 18 Russian regions arrived here to meet with their partners in Kyrgyzstan. A representative Russian delegation from the business community, over 200 leading Russian business people, is here to explore the local opportunities for expanding their businesses.

We have built a very close alliance between our military agencies. I am certain that this cooperation will continue both in the multilateral format of the CSTO and bilaterally. This cooperation will include supplies of military equipment, arms, the training of Kyrgyz troops, including at the Russian Defence Ministry’s higher education institutions. The scope of cooperation is extensive and covers almost every field, including the coordination of our efforts on the international arena.

I would like to thank you for the attention you personally pay to the relations with Russia across all sectors. I hope that our partnership will develop in the same manner in the short term and at least in the midterm.

Thank you.







Sooronbay Jeenbekov:

Mr President,

Thank you for your constructive and substantive speech. I would like to note that our countries’ governments have worked very hard to develop cooperation. I am confident that the implementation of the agreements signed following the Intergovernmental Commission’s recent meeting will further promote our multifaceted cooperation.

I am happy to note how active our business community is and how interested they are in partnerships in trade, the economy, investment, and in interregional areas. Regarding the positive dynamics in bilateral trade growth, we have to reach and top the 2 billion mark together.

With regard to military and political developments in the region, I consider it important to continue the re-equipping of Kyrgyzstan’s armed forces with modern weapons and other military equipment.

We need to step up cooperation in agriculture and exports of agricultural products from Kyrgyzstan to Russia. Our products are known for their high ecological properties.

The Kyrgyz veterinarian control system has made a distinct breakthrough in improving its activities. Russia has lifted the ban on importing raw meat from Kyrgyzstan, for which we are sincerely grateful.

Last year, cultural cooperation of our countries was marked by the 90th anniversary of people’s author Chingiz Aitmatov. Let me express my gratitude for Russia’s support in immortalising the memory of this great humanist writer in Moscow.

Cooperation in education and youth policy also continues. I am grateful for your decision to increase quotas for students from Kyrgyzstan at Russian universities. This will make it possible to fill Kyrgyzstan’s market with highly qualified specialists. Human resource training in technical disciplines at Russian universities is very important for us right now.







As for cooperation in migration, I would like to ask you to consider the possibility of easing the migration registration procedures or consider fines without deportation. During our restricted meeting we talked about this.

I also ask you to assist in expediting the process to provide technical assistance in creating a Kyrgyz national system of product traceability. We discussed this earlier, and it has been repeatedly reviewed at the government and agency levels of the two countries.

We very much appreciate that Russia has supported Kyrgyzstan’s priorities during this year’s presidency in the CSTO.

We welcome Russia’s intent to further boost a settlement in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Kyrgyzstan is ready to make its fair share of contribution to the process of regional security because it is interested in a peaceful, prosperous Afghanistan.

Cells of international terrorist organisations continue to operate in the CIS countries. It is important to carry on the joint fight against terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. I am happy to note the cooperation of our corresponding agencies in this area. I also would like to ask you to consider the possibility of reviving the assistance programme in counteracting illegal drug trafficking.

Summing up, I would like to note that we have no disputes and that we cooperate closely in all areas. Our talks were held in an atmosphere of absolute trust and we have outlined great plans for the future. This again shows that we – Kyrgyzstan and Russia – are reliable allies and strategic partners.

Thank you for your attention.

I suggest we conclude our expanded meeting and proceed with signing the documents.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/60160






Press statements following Russia-Kyrgyzstan talks



March 28, 2019 - 11:45 - Bishkek







President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov:

Friends, we are delighted to welcome the Russian delegation to our hospitable Kyrgyz land.

Mr President,

Once again I would like to thank you for making your state visit to the Kyrgyz Republic. We had constructive and productive talks and covered all spheres concerning bilateral interaction. Again I would like to point out that thanks to you and your personal support, our bilateral relations have reached a whole new level and were given a fresh boost. Your state visit is an undoubtedly remarkable historic event in Russian-Kyrgyz relations.

Ladies and gentlemen,







The top-level Russian-Kyrgyz talks have just concluded. I would like to note that the meeting and talks during the state visit of President of Russia Vladimir Putin were held in an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding. We signed an impressive package of bilateral agreements that meet the interests of both countries and aim to bring our relations to a new level. I am sure that their implementation will benefit the peoples of our two countries.

During the talks, the parties expressed interest in the development of multifaceted cooperation between our countries.







Acting in the spirit of strategic partnership, we are going to increase foreign-policy, trade and economic, and military-technical cooperation. Being allies, we will act together to ensure regional stability.

Today we agreed to hold the Year of the Kyrgyz Republic in Russia and the Year of the Russian Federation in Kyrgyzstan in 2020. These events will make a significant contribution to the strengthening of our strategic alliance.







We also exchanged opinions on current international affairs, reviewed our interaction, including as part of such regional organisations as the CSTO and SCO. As you know, this year Kyrgyzstan chairs these two organisations. Here in Bishkek we will hold regular meetings of heads of state.

We also had a substantial conversation about the improvement of trade and economic relations, including within the Eurasian Economic Union. We are glad that our mutual trade has been growing: the republic received $123 million in direct foreign investments from Russia, which is 25 percent more than in 2017.







We paid special attention to the removal of trade barriers. Both sides are interested in creating favourable conditions for agricultural cooperation. This will increase the supplies of the produce from the Kyrgyz agro-industrial complex to the Russian market.

We discussed in detail the advance of joint infrastructure projects in the field of transport, railways, energy and industrial cooperation.







Kyrgyz representatives spoke about the need to create favourable conditions for reciprocal trips and jobs for citizens of both countries with due account of the EAEU membership.

The Eighth Russia-Kyrgyzstan Interregional Conference, completes its work today. For us it is of utmost importance to attract Russian investments and create favourable conditions for small and medium-sized businesses. Therefore, at the conference we will sign a number of interregional agreements and contracts in the trade and economic and investment sphere. We hope that direct contacts between our regions and business structures will grow.







We did not neglect cultural and humanitarian issues. We continue strengthening our ties in the field of education, the training of personnel and youth policy. The first forum of rectors of Kyrgyz and Russian universities was successfully held in Bishkek yesterday. Our joint project, that is, the Boris Yeltsin Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University is one of Kyrgyzstan’s flagship universities with a 25 year-long history. Over 15,000 students from Kyrgyzstan study in the Russian Federation today. I am convinced that they will return home as top professionals and will make a tangible contribution to the development of Kyrgyzstan.

We cherish the unique store of our spiritual ties, which are based on the common history of our peoples. I would like to repeat that the Russian language has been and will remain the official language of the Kyrgyz Republic. We attach much importance to this issue of national standing.







Friends,

The Russian Federation is our close, reliable and loyal ally and long-term strategic partner. We recognise its leading role in the consolidation of universal security and resolving global and regional problems. We are always overjoyed when it comes to Russia’s achievements and will continue to actively consolidate Kyrgyz-Russian friendship.

May God grant peace, prosperity and every success to the peoples of Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

Thank you all very much.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,

During this state visit to Kyrgyzstan, I have enjoyed a very constructive and friendly atmosphere. In a more expanded format involving the President and me, as well as our colleagues, we discussed the entire scope of bilateral cooperation on topical issues, including integration across Eurasia. I want to stress once again: the Kyrgyz Republic is Russia’s partner and reliable ally with which we are connected by time-tested and cherished ties of friendship and mutual understanding.

During the talks, we confirmed our mutual interest in the further overarching strengthening of our relations in political, cultural and humanitarian affairs as well as in other areas such as military and military-technical cooperation.







The specific vectors for the development of multi-dimensional Russia-Kyrgyz relations and ties are reflected in the joint statement newly adopted by the President and myself. The multiple documents signed in front of you are also aimed at solving the practical tasks of our bilateral cooperation.

Of course, we focused in particular on trade and economic cooperation, both in restricted meetings and in those involving heads of key ministers and government bodies. We noted with satisfaction a positive dynamic in bilateral trade. According to our statistics, last year it increased by 17 percent, reaching almost two billion dollars. This January it grew by another 25 percent.







The Russian Export Centre’s active work facilitates expanded mutual trade volumes. Twelve joint projects worth $71 million and aiming to expand the commodity range have already been launched with its support. In turn, the Russian Direct Investment Fund is doing a lot to boost mutual capital investment volumes. An agreement, signed between the Fund and Kyrgyz partners, aims to expand mutual investment, the current volume of which exceeds $350 million. Accumulated Russian investment in Kyrgyzstan exceeds $200 million, and Kyrgyzstan has accumulated $150 million worth of investments in Russia.

It should be noted that Russian companies operate in virtually all key sectors of the Kyrgyz economy, including in the power industry, the mining and engineering sectors, agriculture and transport. Over 700 Russian-Kyrgyz joint ventures operate successfully in the republic. The Russian-Kyrgyz inter-governmental commission functions efficiently, with Bishkek recently hosting its regular meeting on March 1. Members of the Russian-Kyrgyz Business Council deal with specific projects yielding a real economic effect, including those in the field of small and medium-sized businesses. The inter-regional conference holds regular meetings involving the heads of regions and municipalities and both countries’ business circles. These days, Bishkek is the venue of the eighth meeting of the conference; Mr President and I will attend its plenary session some time later.







We maintain large-scale cooperation in the oil and gas sector. Gazprom is doing a lot to implement a general plan for supplying Kyrgyzstan with gas and building gas pipelines in local communities until 2030. The Russian concern has already invested 16 billion rubles out of the planned 100 billion ruble sum, increasing the number of Kyrgyz communities that receive gas from 22 percent to 30 percent. Their share is to reach 60 percent; and I am confident that these plans will be implemented. Since 2011, Russia has been annually exporting over 1.1 million tonnes of crude oil to Kyrgyzstan duty-free. The direct economic effect from these easy-term deliveries for the Kyrgyz economy totals an estimated $2 billion.

The two countries’ cooperation in the development of natural resources is successfully developing. We agreed today that VTB, Alliance Group and Alliance Altyn of Kyrgyzstan will begin a major project to develop the Jerooy gold mine. The total investment in the project over a period of the next 20 years will be about $600 million.







Bilateral cooperation in high technologies is also growing. Among promising innovative projects is the joint production of single-crystal wafers for solar power stations in Kyrgyzstan. Russia’s BL Group is ready to begin production of modern LED equipment in the republic.

The cooperation between Russia and Kyrgyzstan within the Eurasian Economic Union was a major topic on the agenda of the talks. Our country is helping to adapt the Kyrgyz economy to the EAEU environment. The Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, specially created for this purpose, has invested more than $300 million in various sectors of the Kyrgyz economy. Due to Russia’s help – with $200 million allocated for this purpose –Kyrgyzstan’s customs infrastructure and border checkpoints are being upgraded. After all these projects are completed, presumably by 2020, Kyrgyz products will be certified for compliance with the EAEU technical regulations directly in the republic.







I must note that in Russia, a lot is being done to create favourable conditions for Kyrgyz labour migrants. In October-December 2018, Russia held a migration amnesty at the request of the President of Kyrgyzstan, allowing thousands of Kyrgyz citizens who, for one reason or another, mainly for technical reasons, violated the terms of their stay in Russia, to go home and return without administrative responsibility, which we had agreed with Mr President and implemented, as we can see. At the request of Kyrgyzstan, the amnesty was extended until the end of April, which once again underlines the special nature of relations between our countries.

And of course, cultural and humanitarian ties and exchanges are of great importance for strengthening Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation. Last year, both countries organised events dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the outstanding Soviet and Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov’s birth. The date was celebrated with great success. After this joint news conference, the President and I agreed to visit the house-museum of Aitmatov, who made a great contribution to the development of Russian and Kyrgyz culture, to strengthening friendly relations and ties between our peoples.

This month, Kyrgyzstan held Days of Russian Culture and a Russian Cinema Week. The Flowers of Russia international children's festival will open tomorrow.







Our countries are intensively cooperating in the field of education. At present, almost 16,000 Kyrgyz students are enrolled in Russian universities, including more than 6,500 whose tuition is covered by the Russian federal budget. Another 11,000 people study at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University in Bishkek. This university has been the flagship of bilateral cooperation in higher education for more than 25 years. Last year, Russia allocated another 185 million rubles for its development.

We also agreed with the President that 2020 will be declared a Russia-Kyrgyzstan cross year. The relevant agencies in both countries have been instructed to prepare a rich programme of activities.

During the talks, we noted that Russia and Kyrgyzstan share identical or similar positions on key regional issues. In particular, we agreed to further coordinate our work in the United Nations and at other leading international platforms.

As a reminder, this year, Kyrgyzstan is presiding over the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, so we will be happy to come to Bishkek to attend the SCO and CSTO summits to be hosted in the Kyrgyz capital in June and November, respectively.

We expect to thoroughly discuss with our partners in these organisations the topics of jointly dealing with the challenges and threats in the Eurasian space. We have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the military and military-technical fields. The Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan makes a significant contribution to strengthening the republic’s defence capability, and its presence is an important factor for security and stability in Central Asia.

In conclusion, colleagues, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our Kyrgyz partners and the President of Kyrgyzstan for their hospitality and productive joint work. I am confident that the results of our meeting will contribute to the development of allied relations between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, and will benefit the peoples of our countries.

Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60159






Visit to Chingiz Aitmatov House-Museum



Together with President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov Vladimir Putin visited the House-Museum of writer Chingiz Aitmatov.



March 28, 2019 - 14:30 - Bishkek







The Chingiz Aitmatov House-Museum was opened in 2014 at the initiative of the writer's relatives, in the house where Aitmatov lived for more than 20 years. The exhibits are spread over six rooms, including the office and a library with the writer's books, photographs and awards. The museum includes a gallery of paintings based on Aitmatov’s works.
















The Chingiz Aitmatov International Foundation operates at the museum. Established in 2000 by the writer himself, now the foundation is managed by his children, organising cultural and educational activities.













During a visit to the museum, Vladimir Putin and Sooronbay Jeenbekov were informed of the plans to create a Chingiz Aitmatov cultural centre in Kyrgyzstan. At the end of the tour, the heads of Russia and Kyrgyzstan signed the museum’s distinguished visitors’ book.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60161






Eighth Russia-Kyrgyzstan Interregional Conference



Vladimir Putin and Sooronbay Jeenbekov took part in a plenary session of the Eighth Russia-Kyrgyzstan Interregional Conference, New Horizons for Strategic Partnership and Integration.



March 28, 2019 - 15:30 - Bishkek






The conference, organised with the support of the Roscongress Foundation, brought together over 700 representatives of government agencies, major companies and financial institutions of the two countries. A series of documents was signed on the sidelines of the conference.








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President,

Colleagues, friends, I am happy to welcome all of you, all participants in the Eighth – already the eight one – Russia-Kyrgyzstan Interregional Conference.

Regular meetings in this format, as the President of Kyrgyzstan rightly noted, are very important and in demand. They provide heads of regions and local governments, representatives of expert and business circles, as well as public organisations with an opportunity to directly discuss current issues of cooperation, to align positions, and to jointly develop plans to expand mutually beneficial cooperation. As a result, interregional cooperation is being fleshed out with real substance; it is making a contribution to the development of the full range of bilateral relations and helping to strengthen the strategic partnership and alliance of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. This is why we immediately supported the initiative of the President of Kyrgyzstan to attend the plenary session together.

I would like to note that the issue of regional cooperation was also brought up during the constructive and fruitful talks the President and I had today. This is only logical, given that 71 Russian regions maintain direct relations with Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyz partners. During this visit, as far as I am aware, the Sverdlovsk and Tyumen regions, as well as the Komi and Bashkortostan republics, signed an agreement on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation. In short, I can sense that the representatives of the two countries are ready to do business and work together productively.

The impressive mix of conference participants speaks to this. According to our Kyrgyz friends, this conference has brought together over 800 delegates from 18 Russian regions and seven Kyrgyz regions, including 12 regional heads, as well as officials from the key economic ministries and agencies of both countries.







I also believe our main subject for discussion to be important and topical. I mean new horizons of interregional cooperation considering the integration processes that are becoming deeper in Eurasia. For more than four years now, Russia and Kyrgyzstan cooperate within the Eurasian Economic Union. The advantage of integration is evident.

The Kyrgyz economy is growing stably. The dynamics of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP growth are among the highest in the EAEU: four percent per year on average.

Russian-Kyrgyz trade and economic ties have become more active. Bilateral trade is growing: last year it increased 17 percent reaching almost $2 billion. About 80 percent of this amount is interregional trade. Cargo transport volumes between Russian and Kyrgyz regions are also increasing; the development of the EAEU digital agenda, such as introduction of a joint e-commerce system, automated device tracking and construction of wholesale distribution centres, helps promote this.

I would like to emphasise that cooperation within the Union increases the potential for Russian and Kyrgyzstani regional economic growth and creates further conditions to increase interregional cooperation, develop logistics and infrastructure and establish joint companies to produce competitive products.

And, of course, integration stimulates investment cooperation between the two countries, counter-flows and capital. Russia is a leading investor in Kyrgyzstan. The accumulated volume of Russian investment is over $200 billion. These resources are used in processing industries, wholesale and retail trade, and mining.







The Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, established to adapt the Kyrgyz economy to EAEU agreements, is an effective tool of bilateral economic cooperation. The Fund has invested $307 million in over 1,500 large and small projects. These projects are being carried out in various economic sectors and regions of Kirgizia, including the renovation of the airport in the Issyk-Kul Region, a building materials plant in the Osh Region and a shoe manufacturing facility in the Chuy Region.

Last year business and consultation centres opened everywhere in Kyrgyzstan as part of the comprehensive regional development programme devised by the Development Fund. They help businesspeople with drafting business plans and receiving financial assistance.

Russian-Kyrgyz interregional cooperation is supported by the Eurasian Development Bank that has funded a number of vital projects for the Kyrgyz regions such as the renovation of the Bishkek-Osh motorway and the upgrade of the Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Plant. Today, bank representatives signed a memorandum on a joint project of integration management for republic and municipal government bodies.







There are great opportunities for cooperation in tourism for Russians, especially in Siberia and the Urals. The popular resorts of Issyk-Kul that is famous for its beaches, spa and alpine ski resorts attract tens of thousands of Russian visitors every year.

Of course, the importance of further cultural and humanitarian cooperation should also be noted. In 2018, Russian and Kyrgyz regions were largely involved in events marking the 90th birth anniversary of Chingiz Aitmatov, the classic writer of Soviet, Russian (as we believe) and, of course, Kyrgyz literature. We really enjoyed visiting the Chingiz Aitmatov House-Museum just now. Yakutsk hosted a Kyrgyz film festival screening films based on Aitmatov’s works. A sculpture inspired by his book, Farewell, Gulsary!, was unveiled in the Kyrgyz city of Cholpon-Ata with the support of the Sverdlovsk Regional government. Last December in Moscow, the President of Kyrgyzstan, as you may remember, unveiled a monument to this outstanding writer and thinker.

Our regions extensively work together to develop links in sports. Russian athletes from Kalmykia, Bashkortostan and the Altai Territory participated in the 3rd World Nomad Games in the Kyrgyz Republic.







Youth and university exchanges contribute to the further expansion of interregional contacts. The President also spoke about this. The regions were widely represented at conferences and forums for youth and university rectors.

Colleagues, finally, I would like to thank all our Kyrgyz friends, the President of Kyrgyzstan and everybody who gathered here today, for their activism and enthusiasm. I am also confident that the regions of Russia and Kyrgyzstan will continue to strengthen their bilateral partnership.

Colleagues, a great deal depends on you. The President of Kyrgyzstan and I will do whatever we can to support your constructive initiatives, endeavours and new projects. Next year it will be Russia’s turn to host the interregional conference. With great pleasure, I would like to invite you to Yekaterinburg.

Thank you very much.







<…>


Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues, the President has been in office for eighteen months, and during this time we have seen considerable invigoration of our interstate ties and interregional contacts. The Kyrgyz economy is making steady headway, maintaining the pace and building up cooperation. I would like to draw your attention to this and reaffirm what our colleagues have said here, notably that Kyrgyzstan is creating very good and stable conditions for cooperation and investment. This means a lot for business, in part, for them to be confident.

I would like to express the hope that our colleagues from both sides – Kyrgyz and Russian – will avail themselves of this opportunity and the results will be meaningful and obvious both to Russia and Kyrgyzstan. I would like to express gratitude to the Kyrgyz representatives and to the President.







I want to point out one more thing – a considerate attitude towards the Russian language. Russian is an official language in Kyrgyzstan, which creates special conditions for cooperation and, incidentally, has serious implications for both the humanitarian area and the economy. I would like to thank you for this and wish success to all of you.

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60164






Laying wreaths at the Eternal Flame on Victory Square in Bishkek



Vladimir Putin and President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame on Victory Square in Bishkek.



March 28, 2019 - 16:00 - Bishkek







Vladimir Putin’s state visit to the Republic of Kyrgyzstan concluded with a wreath-laying ceremony.













Russia-Kyrgyzstan talks were held earlier today. The two presidents also attended the Eighth Russia-Kyrgyzstan Interregional Conference and visited the Chingiz Aitmatov House-Museum.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60165






Greetings on the opening of League of Arab States' Summit



Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to heads of state and government of the League of Arab States (LAS) member states on the opening of LAS Summit



March 31, 2019 - 12:00



The message reads, in part:

“Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa are currently facing serious challenges related to armed conflicts, escalating threats of terror, and aggravating social and economic problems. This undoubtedly increases the relevance of the League of Arab States as a mechanism of comprehensive dialogue and interaction.

Russia operates on the premise that the crisis situation in the region should be settled through political and diplomatic means on the basis of international law and with scrupulous respect for countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity. This applies to Syria in full, where a massive blow was delivered to terror, the political process was launched and work was started to resolve pressing humanitarian issues, in large part due to Russia's efforts.

A major condition for the long-term stabilisation of the situation in the region is the settlement of the long-time Arab-Israeli conflict, which would include a just solution of the issue. The Arab Peace Initiative, approved by the League of Arab States, remains relevant in this regard.

Russia confirms those Middle East initiatives that it has announced previously, aimed at establishing a comprehensive anti-terror coalition under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to develop joint measures of security and trust in the Persian Gulf.

Russia is ready to further boost its partner relations with the Middle East and the states of North Africa in all areas. I am confident that a regular ministerial session of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum to take place in Moscow in April will promote our cooperation.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60181
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old April 2nd, 2019 #24
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Winners of 2018 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and for Writing and Art for Children and Young People announced



Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order On the 2018 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.



March 25, 2019 - 12:50 - The Kremlin, Moscow







The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy.



* * *


Vladimir Putin considered the recommendations of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art and resolved that the 2018 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the honorary title of prize-winner would be awarded to the following individuals:







Nikolai Pereslegin, architect, for the development of Russian architecture and the preservation of cultural heritage;

Valentin Uryupin, artistic director and chief conductor of the Rostov Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Rostov Regional Philharmonic Hall, for his contribution to the development of Russian music art;

Sergei Chekhov, stage director, for his creative development of the Russian theatrical school.







* * *


Vladimir Putin considered the recommendations of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art and resolved that the 2018 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People and the honorary title of prize-winner would be awarded to the following individuals:

Boris Diodorov, artist, for his significant contribution to the development of Russian and global illustration art;

Sergei Kazarnovsky, Principal of the Klass-Centre general education school in Moscow, for the development and implementation of the concept Theatre as the Foundation of Humanitarian Education;







Francheska Yarbusova, artist, for her significant contribution to the development of Russian and global animation art.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60141






Meeting with Russian Post head Nikolai Podguzov



Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with Russian Post Director General Nikolai Podguzov to discuss promising areas of the company’s work.



March 25, 2019 - 13:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Podguzov, your company, a structured corporation, is not only of economic, but also of social significance.

I know that it has been developing quite successfully. I would like to hear your assessments and plans.







Director General of Russian Post Nikolai Podguzov:

Mr President,

Indeed, we achieved some success in 2018. We focused on optimising the business processes and on systematically cutting costs. This work has already produced results.

At the end of 2018, the company's revenue and net profit reached a historical high of 190 billion rubles in revenue and 2.7 billion rubles in net profit.

Having shown such results and having made projections for the future, we started on our second most important job – raising the wages of our core workers.

We have developed a programme that will affect 210,000 employees such as postal service operators, and mail carriers – we plan to increase their pay by 20 percent and we have invested 11.5 billion rubles in the payroll fund.

On May 1, we will launch the programme in 17 regions with the lowest pay and over 18 months, we will bring the core workers’ wages up to market levels. If the Russian Post’s performance exceeds forecasts, then we will try to do it in a shorter time.

The infrastructure of Russian Post needs to be renewed and investments are required. A modern infrastructure will contribute to high-quality postal services and good working conditions, which is very important.

Last year we carried out repair work on about 3,000 post offices and plan to proceed at the same rate.

In addition, this January we launched the second line of the Vnukovo 2 logistic postal centre, which will make it possible for us to achieve the highest market rates of delivery quality in Moscow Region.

At the same time, last autumn together with VTB Bank we established National Logistic Technologies, a company that is to create a network of 38 logistic postal centres in two years using the most advanced technologies.

These centres are established in order to create a digital logistic platform that will support e-commerce flow in the domestic market, as well as imports, exports and transit flows.

Investments in Russian Post will account for about 34 billion rubles over a period of the next two years.

Russian Post’s social function is another important task we have to address. We deliver pensions and social security benefits to 18 million people. Most of them live in rural areas.

Our mission is to preserve Russian Post’s infrastructure across the country, especially in remote areas, to provide basic postal services, to deliver food and to provide financial services.

In this context, I would like to note the development of our Pochta Bank project. Last year, the number of offices of the bank in the Russian Post’s infrastructure reached 15,000, so we will continue to expand our financial services.

In order to develop the post’s social function, we have launched the Bringing Care Closer project together with the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. Thank you very much for approving it at the Agency’s Supervisory Council in January.

The project in Novgorod Region will aim to find out, using the postal workers, what the requirements are for social and medical services.

I would like to say a bit about our active participation in preparations to celebrate a great day in our nation, the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Russian Post will take part in many events, such as the Immortal Regiment, Letters of Victory and Faces of Victory. We will use our entire infrastructure for this purpose.

This year, Pochta Bank is to be converted into a joint stock company. You signed the relevant law on June 29, 2018. Together with the Russian Government, we are now carrying out the reorganisation. According to the law, no later than October 1, 2019, Pochta Bank will become a joint-stock company with the Russian Government owning 100% of the company’s shares.







Vladimir Putin:

Pochta Bank’s results show that the decisions made concerning restructuring and reorganising the work according to new principles are now manifesting themselves.

What do you believe to be the most important factor that contributed to achieving all the results that you have just told me about?



Nikolai Podguzov:

I believe that the most important factor is ensuring Russian Post’s efficiency through enhancing the company’s economic yield. This can be done.

This is evidenced by our systematic work with costs. The business component of Russian Post will develop confidently and successfully.

At the same time, other important factors include the social function and the post’s presence in remote and hard-to-reach areas. It is very important, because sometimes, Russian Post serves as a sort of a centre of gravity, and there, the quality of services we offer to citizens depends, among other things, on the quality of our work.

Take, for instance, the switch over to digital broadcasting that is now underway. The Russian Post is committed to providing citizens in rural and remote areas with set-top boxes sold at the lowest possible price. We are now carrying this work out together with the Government, and we will do it well.







Vladimir Putin:

A question concerning Pochta Bank.

We both know and you know this all too well that Pochta Bank does indeed have great prospects for development.



Nikolai Podguzov:

Indeed, Pochta Bank really is a very successful project. Financial services are in great demand, especially in rural areas.

We are now rapidly establishing a network of branches of the bank and can clearly see how positive the population’s feedback of Russian Post’s financial services is.



Vladimir Putin:

Right now, it is very important as other large financial institutions are closing their branches down for different reasons.

It is, of course, one more important function – not only economic or financial, but also of a social–nature that Pochta Bank can undertake, bearing in mind that the network of post offices extends throughout the whole country.



Nikolai Podguzov:

Without a doubt.

Our entire infrastructure, a total of 42,000 post offices, will be offering financial and other important social services that can be of use to the citizens.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60142






Awarding Presidential Prizes for Young Culture Professionals and for Writing and Art for Children and Young People



Vladimir Putin awarded the 2018 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2018 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.



March 26, 2019 - 16:20 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends.

First of all, I would like to greet you on the occasion of Culture Worker’s Day. This professional holiday was marked yesterday. All of us are aware of the huge, everyday importance of all spheres of culture. We highly value the contribution of those who work in museums, libraries, clubs, concert halls, theatres, film studios, as well as in literature and the arts. Serving culture and the arts is by right considered an essential mission in Russia, primarily because of their contribution to education and enlightenment, to the strengthening of the spiritual and moral foundations in society, as well as to the preservation and accumulation of our rich historical heritage.







As you may know, 2019 has been declared Year of Theatre, and tomorrow we will mark one more holiday, World Theatre Day. We have every reason to be proud of our theatre directors and actors and, of course, our unique repertory theatres, including theatres for children. The world’s first theatre for children was created in this country nearly a hundred years ago. We remember what Konstantin Stanislavsky said when he was asked how to act for children: “The same as for adults, only better.” These wise words from the great director can be applied to everything we do for children and young people. Books, films, theatre performances and music must help the rising generation learn about life with its contradictions and complexities, teaching them to separate the wheat from the chaff and to assert the ideals of goodness, friendship, generosity and justice.







The works of the prize winners fully comply with these principles.










People’s Artist of Russia Boris Diodorov is an illustrator of Russian and foreign classics. In fact, he is a classic himself: his talented, filigree drawings reveal and enrich the contents of more than 300 books, including works by Aksakov, Andersen, Bazhov and many other authors. In his art and educational and pedagogical activities, Diodorov is guided by intrinsic values, presenting readers with beauty and singing praise to the harmony of the world. He is convinced that real art is sincere and simple, and the works of this outstanding master are understandable and close both to children and adults.










Sergei Kazarnovsky has the same force of attraction for his students. A famous Russian pedagogue, he has his own approach to educating young people. In his school Klass-Centre art accounts for two thirds of the content of the education. In his 30 years of activity, Kazarnovsky has proved that school is a major part of our culture, that while passing on knowledge, education should pursue moral ideals that have equal value. Kazarnovsky prioritises the molding of children’s personalities and is focused on developing their feelings, the understanding of good and evil, the importance of human dignity and spiritual uplifting.







Our prize winners include the fabulous and amazing artist Francheska Yarbusova. She can depict both reality and magic, precise details and the disappearing fragility of a dream. It remains an inconceivable mystery how she can convey frosty air, the fragrance of the night or the energy of space in her illustrations. Yarbusova’s works are among the indisputable masterpieces of world art. Characters in such animated films as Hedgehog in the Fog, Left-Hander and The Tale of Tales, to name a few, have forever touched the hearts of many generations.







Friends, our young talented professionals are making a huge contribution to our rich cultural environment.







The professional stance of architect Nikolai Pereslegin is to take a thorough and analytical approach to every project. We can see the embodiment of his bold ideas in our capital’s public spaces, parks and embankments, as well as comfortable residential districts. The signature line of this young architect is the delicate and scrupulous renovation of Moscow’s historical buildings, which have a new lease on life thanks to him. Nikolai Pereslegin’s projects have not only made our city more beautiful but are also promoting its image as a hospitable and comfortable megacity.







Dedication to his profession is also one of Valentin Uryupin’s major traits. He became an accomplished conductor at 21, a unique case in this profession. He has performed with many musicians, including world famous musicians, as an invited conductor. For a fourth year now, he has been the principal conductor of one of Russia’s oldest symphony orchestras in Rostov-on-Don. I know that Valentin Uryupin plans to make that city one of Russia’s music capitals again. It is a noble mission and goal, and we will do everything we can to help him. We are confident that he will attain his goal thanks to his talent as a conductor, his huge creative potential and the ability to create a close-knit team of likeminded people. And all these talents in such a young man. He is also a top class clarinet player, giving solo recitals and bringing joy to his fans.










Theatre director Sergei Chekhov invites audiences to judge his vision of new ideas. He has worked in Moscow and in other Russian cities with widely different and long-established troupes, and every time he finds a way into their hearts, charging them with his innovative ideas and winning acceptance of his creative approach to drama, which includes an open dialogue with the audience. Sergei Chekhov is the founder and the driving force of several creative groups that are both looking for new theatrical concepts and developing the traditions of the Russian theatre school.







Friends, all of our winners today, even though they come from different generations, are noted for their strong will, which, along with their ability to think “out of the box” and to devote all their lives to their professions is evident in their creative endeavours. Thank you for serving Russian culture and for your brilliant achievements. I wish you every success and all the best.

Thank you very much.


<…>


Vladimir Putin:

Friends, colleagues, winners,

I would like to congratulate all of our winners on today’s event once again, and to wish you new achievements. I have no doubt that all of you will do a lot to contribute to the development of, quoting one of the winners, our great, extensive Russian family, and do so in your own unique way. You thanked the members of the Commission, but here is what I need to tell you.







The Commission members who chose you as winners documented a fact that was recognised by the hundreds of thousands of people that you work for.

I wish you further achievements. Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60145






Congratulations on National Guard Day



Vladimir Putin congratulated active and retired National Guard officers on their professional holiday, National Guard Day.



March 27, 2019 - 09:00







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Comrade officers, veterans,

Please accept my best wishes on your professional holiday, the National Guard Day.

The Russian National Guard proudly continues and expands the best traditions of Interior Ministry Troops, OMON Special Police Force and SOBR Rapid Deployment Task Force units, extra-departmental security units and the Licensing Service in a befitting manner. This continuity, extremely high training levels and impeccable professionalism serve as a reliable foundation for successfully accomplishing your diverse tasks.

You spearhead the fight against such threats as terrorism, extremism and organised crime. You assume tremendous responsibility for maintaining law and order during public events, for reliably shielding key industrial facilities and infrastructure and for organising efficient control in such an important sphere as arms sales.







All these aspects of your everyday work require the utmost concentration, resoluteness and determination, as well as unfailing compliance with the law, respect for the rights and freedoms of citizens and the dignity of every person.

I want to note that commanders and soldiers, the entire National Guard service personnel, always honourably fulfil their orders, while maintaining the security of our citizens, society and state. They act bravely, skilfully and efficiently. I am confident that this will continue in the future.

Thank you for your service. I wish you, your families and loved ones every success, health and all the best. Congratulations on the holiday once again.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60148






Visit to Olympic Synchronised Swimming Centre



Vladimir Putin visited the Olympic Synchronised Swimming Centre of Anastasia Davydova located in the Park of Legends sports and entertainment quarter in Moscow.



March 27, 2019 - 15:15 - Moscow






President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin inspected an information stand on the development of physical culture and sports in Moscow and looked around the Olympic Synchronised Swimming Centre. The centre’s equipment and technical infrastructure comply with the Olympic standards, and the system of training combines traditional Russian methods with innovative learning techniques.
















Russia’s junior national teams started training at the centre and regional championships were first held there in 2018. There are 116 children at the Youth of Moscow Olympic Reserve School in the Olympic Synchronised Swimming Centre of Anastasia Davydova.
















In addition, Vladimir Putin met with participants of the 2019 Winter Universiade held in Krasnoyarsk and congratulated Russia’s student team on their victory.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60151






Meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport



Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport at the Olympic Synchronised Swimming Centre.



March 27, 2019 - 17:00 - Moscow






The meeting focused on national goals and strategic tasks concerning the development of physical fitness and sport in the Russian Federation until 2024 and beyond.

Participants discussed creating conditions for engaging all categories and groups of the public in regular exercise, upgrading sports facilities, improving the training of athletic reserves and increasing the competitiveness of Russian athletes.




President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends,

First of all, I want to thank the Council’s working group for preparing today’s meeting.

The agenda is indeed full and substantial. We are to discuss strategic issues related to the development of physical fitness and sports in Russia until 2024 and for the later period.

Our colleagues developed proposals in line with the key national goals and objectives that were outlined in the 2018 May Executive Order.







It should be noted that this approach complies with a resolution of the UN General Assembly adopted in December 2018 which considers sport an important factor of sustainable development.

Physical fitness and sport remain a priority of our social policy. What I will say may be obvious but in no way less important. Sport is an opportunity for self-fulfilment, for a new quality of life for each and every person.







As a matter of fact, the main purpose of multiple international and national competitions that Russia has hosted in recent years is precisely to promote the culture of healthy living.

Promoting sports is an important task, including for a new television channel, MATCH.Strana, which was established to cover sports events of all levels and perhaps most importantly in Russian regions.







There are positive dynamics, indeed. Over the past decade, the number of those who chose an active lifestyle and sports as leisure activities has increased from 17 percent to almost 40 percent, or over 54 million people.

As you may recall, our goal was to get over half of Russia’s population (55 percent) involved in an active lifestyle by 2024.







To do so, it is imperative to expand sports for the public much more actively, to expose everyone to physical fitness from childhood, and to cultivate responsibility for one’s health, as well as to fully support interest in an active lifestyle for middle-aged and older people and to create a corresponding infrastructure.

Of course, sports for the public should be included in our national projects, all of which focus on people’s interests and requests.







It is even more important to do this as part of programmes like Demography, Housing and Urban Environment, Healthcare and Education, which are designed to create a modern and comfortable environment for people, hence, the active lifestyle.

The Council’s working group believes that these matters are not fully reflected in the national programmes. Of course, we can and must correct this situation, and make sure that measures to promote physical fitness and sports are included in national project passports, and that proper funding is provided.







In addition, the current Physical Culture and Sport Development Strategy will expire next year. Including based on what we discussed today, I want the Government (we will discuss this in more detail later) and the Ministry of Sport to start developing a new Strategy for the period to 2030 without delay and adopt it no later than October 2020 in order for us to be able to implement this document effectively and on schedule.

Today, I would like to focus on the tasks at hand.

First, as I already mentioned, this is about further developing the public sports infrastructure. This should literally be within walking distance. We should also take a closer look at the ways to more effectively use sports facilities of educational organisations, such as schools. This is important and there is a need to do so, especially in rural areas.







Next, it is necessary to facilitate public-private partnerships in sports and physical fitness, to use, in conjunction with public budget resources, the potential offered by the entrepreneurial initiative, the desire of small and medium-sized businesses to work in public sports and offer services ranging from affordable fitness and athletic classes to manufacturing inexpensive sportswear and equipment.

Besides, as you know, professional sports, major sporting events and tournaments can be commercially successful, including income for advertising companies and various lotteries. An entire business sector is linked with sports.







As I see it, we need to carefully revaluate the regulatory system for this and create clear and understandable procedures to purposefully allocate part of the revenues generated in the professional sport segment for the development of public sports, for training new stars who can serve as examples for the younger generations.

I would like to talk separately about cooperation between the Russian Olympic Committee, national sports federations, and specialised agencies and international sport organisations.







We need to expand Russia’s involvement in drafting and implementing decisions on key matters on the international sports agenda, as well as a systematic approach to defending the rights and interests of Russian athletes. I would like you to work actively and consistently here, based on common approaches and an agreed-upon policy.

This directly concerns the well-known doping incident. Russia has fulfilled all the requirements for more efficient anti-doping efforts. We have established constructive cooperation with specialised international agencies. We need to completely resolve any remaining matters and do everything possible so that members of the Russian team will not be subjected to any restrictions during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, so that we don’t provide any pretext to those who use sport for political purposes against Russia’s interests.







I would like to note that many aspects of maintaining the international status of Russian sports and ensuring domestic development depend on skilful coordination. The ministries, departments and public organisations whose activities are linked with sports should work as hard as possible and draft common comprehensive development programmes for specific areas. This also concerns the introduction and use of advanced scientific and technical achievements, as well as human resourcing.

I agree with those who note the need for common, so-called comprehensive standards and requirements for training and qualifications of specialists working in the system of school, additional and higher education.







Matters of streamlining the system for protecting the labour rights of coaches and athletes themselves, developing the system of specialised medical assistance and rehabilitation for people who have devoted years and decades of their lives to sport also require the same degree of attention. And, of course, we should further work on ways to additionally incentivise coaches and athletes.

The Foundation for the Support of Russian Olympians has been doing this successfully in professional sports for many years. But we need to include all sports levels, support local enthusiasts and devotees who implement important and promising projects and who act as true mentors to young people.

Please think about how we can use the potential of the Presidential Grants Foundation and the grant programmes of corresponding ministries and regions for these purposes.

Let’s start discussing the items that have been prepared for today.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60152






Condolences to Valery Bykovsky’s family



Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the family and friends of pilot-cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky following his passing.



March 27, 2019 - 21:00







The message reads, in part:

“Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Valery Bykovsky was a great representative of the first, iconic cosmonaut corps and a person of exceptional courage and will. Over the years of loyal duty to the Fatherland he added colourful pages to the history of space exploration as well as the history of Russia. He has rightfully earned a great reputation and respect.”

Pilot-cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Colonel Valery Bykovsky passed away on March 27 at the age of 84.

In 1960, Valery Bykovsky became a member of the first cosmonaut squad. He took his first flight aboard Vostok 5 in June 1963. The five-day mission was carried out together with Vostok 6 flown by Valentina Tereshkova. Valery Bykovsky’s second mission, as commander of Soyuz 22, lasted eight days and took place in September 1976. During his third mission, Valery Bykovsky flew to the Salyut 6 orbital station as commander of Soyuz 31 along with Sigmund Jaehn (Germany) in August-September 1978. The flight lasted eight days.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60169






Meeting with permanent members of Security Council



Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council.



March 29, 2019 - 13:10 - The Kremlin, Moscow







Following an exchange of opinions, the meeting participants voiced their grave concern about several states’ continuing direct statements on their intention to further interfere in Venezuela’s domestic affairs, which makes the settlement of the internal political crisis in the country more problematic. They emphasised that only the people of Venezuela can make decisions on the future of their state.













In addition, during the meeting Vladimir Putin informed the participants of the results of the talks held during his visit to Kyrgyzstan.







Pressing socioeconomic matters were also discussed.










The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60170






Meeting with Vologda Region Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov



Vladimir Putin met with Vologda Region Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov to discuss the socio-economic situation in the region. Mr Kuvshinnikov told the President about his decision to run for Vologda Region Governor next September.



March 29, 2019 - 14:05 - The Kremlin, Moscow







The Governor recalled that seven years ago, the financial and economic situation in the region was very difficult; therefore, he had asked the President to support his request to provide the region with budget loans at 0.1 percent interest. Owing to these measures, the region overcame its budget crisis. In seven years, the regional budget has virtually doubled. It had a deficit of almost 8 billion rubles whereas now it has a surplus of 14 billion (10th among the 85 regions of Russia). The region’s public debt has almost been cut in half and it is already possible to say that it is close to an infrastructure breakthrough.

The GRP has almost doubled since 2011 to 600 billion rubles. The region is ranked 18th in Russia in per capita industrial output. Its economy has been diversified. The metallurgical industry has grown by 9 percent, and paper and chemical production and wood processing also recorded substantial growth. In terms of investment, the region now ranks 20th in Russia.







According to Mr Kuvshinnikov, the region has increased its development budget. In 2012, it was 9 percent of the budget, and in 2019, it amounts to 22 percent. In the next three years, 45 billion rubles will be spent on developing municipal infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and schools, major repairs of social facilities, fitness and health-building centres and a new stadium. The construction of 460 facilities is already underway.

Mr Kuvshinnikov asked the President to support the programme for developing Vologda Region and back his decision to run in the election next September.







Calling his intention well-grounded and the results of his performance obvious, Vladimir Putin promised to support his nomination.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60171






On March 30, Moscow Kremlin facade lighting will be turned off for Earth Hour



On March 30, the facade lighting of the President’s official residence, the Moscow Kremlin, will be turned off between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm Moscow time for Earth Hour.



March 29, 2019 - 15:00



Earth Hour is an annual campaign organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to promote environmental awareness.

People around the world simultaneously turn off lights, electric appliances and facade lighting on iconic buildings, for one hour.

Earth Hour is the most widespread campaign in human history. In 2018, over 2 billion people from 188 countries took part in the event, including the residents of 170 Russian cities.

The Moscow Kremlin joined the campaign in 2013 by decision of Vladimir Putin.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60172






Message of greetings to participants, organisers and guest of 32nd Nika national film awards



Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the 32nd Nika National Film Award ceremony.



March 30, 2019 - 18:30



The message reads, in part:

“Film directors, actors, scriptwriters, artists and cameramen, those who created the most successful films of 2018, are among the audience here today. You are all united by sincere dedication to your trade, outstanding talent, a wish to make a personal contribution to the development of Russian cinematography. It is certainly gratifying that you have deep respect for renowned masters, annually presenting them with the Eldar Ryazanov award in the Honour and Dignity nomination.

I am confident that the current ceremony will be a true festival of creativity and amicable communication, and that the best of the best will receive the sought-after Nika awards, since high praise from colleagues is the best evidence of the winners’ extraordinary talents and their commitment to reaching professional heights.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/60178
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old April 29th, 2019 #25
Rasen
Banned
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 464
Default

Alex Him we urge you to stand up from the grave and to start reposting en.Kremlin.ru again.
 
Old May 9th, 2019 #26
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rasen View Post
Alex Him we urge you to stand up from the grave and to start reposting en.Kremlin.ru again.
Thank you, necromancer.

You successfully reunited my soul and my body again.
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old August 11th, 2019 #27
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Statement by the President of Russia on the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles



August 5, 2019 - 15:00



On February 1, 2019, the United States of America launched a procedure to withdraw from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles. The six-month period set forth in the Treaty’s withdrawal clause has expired. When one of the parties withdraws from the Treaty, it ceases to have effect automatically. Therefore, as of August 2, 2019 the INF Treaty no longer exists. Our US colleagues sent it to the archives, making it a thing of the past.

It is with regret that Russia states that the unilateral withdrawal by the United States from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles under a far-fetched pretext and the dismantlement of one of the last fundamental arms control treaties creates major complications for world affairs and brings about serious risks for everyone. Let me emphasise that all the responsibility for what has happened rests with the United States. Instead of engaging in a meaningful discussion on international security matters, the United States opted for simply undercutting many years of efforts to reduce the probability of a large-scale armed conflict, including the use of nuclear weapons.

Russia cannot ignore the current state of affairs or satisfy itself with hollow peace-loving declarations made by its American colleagues or their allies.

In this context, considering the current situation, I instruct the Defence Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Foreign Intelligence Service to monitor in the most thorough manner future steps taken by the United States to develop, produce and deploy intermediate-range and medium-range missiles.

If Russia obtains reliable information whereby the United States completes the development of these systems and starts to produce them, Russia will have no option other than to engage in a full-scale effort to develop similar missiles. Of course, this will take time. Until the Russian army deploys these weapons, Russia will reliably offset the threats related to the withdrawal by the United States from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles by relying on the means that we already have: the X-101 and the Kinzhal air-launched missiles, the Kalibr sea-launched missile, as well as future weapons systems, including Tsirkon-class hypersonic systems. At the same time, Russia maintains the unilateral commitments it has assumed, and will act only when it has to respond. This applies to developing, producing and deploying land-based intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. We will not deploy them in any given region until US-made intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles are deployed there.

Despite the recent developments, Russia still hopes that common sense prevails, and that our US colleagues and their allies have a sense of responsibility toward their people and the entire international community. It is our belief that the actions taken by the United States that brought about the dismantlement of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles will inevitably devalue and shatter the foundations of the global security architecture, including the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

This scenario could signal a new start for an unfettered arms race. In order to avoid chaos with no rules, restrictions or laws, we need to once more weigh up all the dangerous consequences and launch a serious and meaningful dialogue free from any ambiguity.

Russia considers that it is necessary to revive without delay meaningful talks on ensuring strategic stability and security. We are ready to engage in these efforts.

Vladimir Putin




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/61271
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 14th, 2019 #28
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Russian gas exports to China launched via the eastern route



Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping participated in the launch ceremony of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, via teleconference.



December 2, 2019 - 12:30 - Sochi







In May 2014, Gazprom signed a 30-year agreement with the China National Petroleum Corporation to supply Russian gas to China via the eastern route. The Power of Siberia gas pipeline has a capacity to deliver 38 billion cubic metres a year.

Natural gas will be delivered from the Chayandinskoye field in Yakutia and the Kovyktinskoye field in the Irkutsk Region. The 3,000-kilometre-long pipeline passes through the Irkutsk Region, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Amur Region.

Other Russian representatives at the official ceremony included Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Russian part of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on Energy Cooperation, Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller who joined the event from the Atamanskaya compressor station in the Amur Region.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Nihau, good afternoon, hello.

Mr President Xi Jinping, my friend, colleagues, friends,

Today is a special day and a truly historic event, not only for the global energy market, but primarily for you and me – for Russia and China.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and this year we begin supplying Russian pipeline gas to China. This step takes Russian-Chinese strategic energy cooperation to a qualitatively new level, and brings us closer to the goal we set with President of China Xi Jinping to increase bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2024.

I would like to note that the supply contract our countries signed in 2014 was the largest agreement in the history of the domestic gas industry. The Power of Siberia gas pipeline will deliver more than a trillion cubic metres of natural gas to China over 30 years.

This contract kick-started an unprecedented high-tech project in eastern Russia – a new gas production centre was developed from scratch in severe climatic conditions in Yakutia.

We are developing the Chayandinskoye project, a unique gas field in terms of reserves. The pipeline is under construction and will eventually stretch across some 3,000 kilometres of Russia.

For our country, for Russia, this project is important not just for export but also because it will deliver gas to the Amur Gas Processing Plant, which will become one of the most powerful in the world.

All the necessary facilities are ready to supply gas eastward – both on the Russian side and the Chinese.

I sincerely thank the engineers, the builders, all the employees of Gazprom, China National Petroleum Corporation and contractor companies for their high professionalism and excellent work, which was completed ahead of schedule.

I wish you all further success and all the best.





President of China Xi Jinping (retranslated):

Mr President, guests, colleagues, builders of the eastern section of the China-Russia gas pipeline,

I am very pleased to attend, with President Putin, the ceremony for launching the eastern section of the China-Russia gas pipeline.

On behalf of the Government and the people of China, I would like to warmly congratulate you on this event and express my heartfelt greetings and gratitude to the oil and gas industry workers of the two countries.

This year marked the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Russia. President Putin and I have spoken about progress in China-Russia relations, and our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, which are entering a new era. We agreed that promoting China-Russia relations will remain our countries’ foreign policy priorities. We will steadily work to expand strategic interaction and cooperation in a variety of areas.

The eastern section of the Russian-Chinese gas pipeline is a seminal project of bilateral energy cooperation and serves as an example of the deep integration and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries.

In May 2014, President Putin and I attended the ceremony for signing the gas purchase and sale agreement in Shanghai. The construction companies from the two countries have worked closely in the past five years.

While working in subzero temperatures and severe climatic conditions and overcoming enormous difficulties, our workers, engineers and oil workers completed the construction project with a high level of quality and showed the entire world the high level of skills and positive results of our cooperation. Launching the gas pipeline is an important interim accomplishment and the beginning of a new phase in our interaction.

I would like to say a few words about management and maintenance requirements for the pipeline.

The first priority is security and maintenance safety.

The second priority is environmental friendliness. We must give special attention to the environment and resource savings in the interests of green, pollution-free, energy efficient and low-carbon development.

The third priority is the socioeconomic effect. The Chinese-Russian gas pipeline should facilitate the socioeconomic development of the regions across which it runs.

The fourth priority is stronger friendship. We must coordinate the interests of our countries even closer in the spirit of mutual understanding and advantage.

China and Russia are at a crucial stage in their national development, and our relations are entering a new phase as well. I hope that our countries will continue working to create even more landmark projects like the Chinese-Russian gas pipeline in the interests of our countries and to the benefit of our peoples.

Mr Putin, thank you. We are grateful to all of you.





Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller:

President Putin, President Xi Jinping,

I am standing here with some of the Gazprom employees who helped build the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. We are in the control room of the Atamanaskaya Compressor Station on the Russian-Chinese border.

This 128 MW compressor station will provide the necessary pressure for pumping gas into the gas transport system in the People’s Republic of China.

The Power of Siberia is one of Gazprom’s largest projects. Nearly 10,000 people and 4,500 vehicles were used to build the pipeline, which took 130,000 pipe sections of differing diameters weighing over 1.8 million tonnes welded together with over 260,000 joints. We have built over 10 bridges across large rivers and over 100 crossings over small rivers and marshes. Both the people and the equipment have pulled through.

The first phase of the Power of Siberia project involved laying 2,160 kilometres of pipe from the Chayandinskoye field to the Chinese border. The second phase includes 804 kilometres of gas pipeline to the Kovyktinskoye field.

Production drilling is in full swing at Kovyktinskoye field today. The total length of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline will be almost 3,000 kilometres.

Today we will begin supplying gas from Chayandinskoye field, a unique gas field in terms of its reserves. It contains about 1.2 trillion cubic metres of natural gas, and it is the base for the Yakutia gas production centre.

About 10,000 people and 5,000 different machines worked at Chayandinskoye in difficult climatic conditions: in winter, the temperature dropped below 50 degrees Celsius. Despite all the difficulties, construction progressed quickly.

As many as 192 wells have been drilled at Chayandinskoye and a comprehensive gas processing unit has been built. The Yakutia gas production centre is now up and running.

Now I will give the floor to Igor Krutikov, Director-General of Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk, who will report on the gas supply to the Power of Siberia gas pipeline.





Igor Krutikov:

President Putin, President Xi Jinping, Mr Miller,

I am at the comprehensive gas processing unit at the Chayandinskoye field, a key facility in the project’s industrial infrastructure, built by thousands of people from all over Russia.

In just a few years, a gas production and processing plant has been built in the taiga, and pressure booster units have been built. This will allow us to ensure reliable supplies to the Power of Siberia gas pipeline.

We’ve met all the deadlines. Right now, the operational staff is at the site. Gas is being supplied to the main gas pipeline as it should.





Alexei Miller:

The Power of Siberia pipeline has been filled with the gas from the Chayandinskoye field and is now under pressure. Gazprom is ready to open the gas supply to the People’s Republic of China.





CNPC Director Wang Jiuling (retranslated):

President Xi Jinping, President Vladimir Putin, guests, friends.

Construction of the eastern section of the China-Russia gas pipeline is a major strategic project initiated personally by President Xi and President Putin and carried out with their direct support.

On May 21, 2014 in Shanghai, in the presence of President Xi and President Putin, a memorandum of understanding was signed on gas supplies via the eastern route including the respective purchase and sale agreement. Today, at this historic moment, the leaders of the two states are participating in the launch of the gas pipeline and gas supply.

This event inspires and reinvigorates us, the many workers in the oil and gas industry. Construction of the eastern section of the China-Russia gas pipeline was our priority. Under the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, workers of the China National Petroleum Corporation, in keeping with the best traditions of Daqing oil workers, demonstrated unbending will, tenacity and team spirit, finished the construction on schedule and to a high standard and prepared the Heihe-Changli section for operation.

This was the first project to use pipes with an extra-large diameter (1,422 mm), high-level durability (X80) and high pressure (12 MPa). The project used full localisation, from essential equipment to automatic control systems. For the first time, construction of this mainline, which is the world’s largest, has involved full automation for welding and ultrasonic diagnostics.

Today we are launching the northern section of the pipeline, which will allow us to import 5 billion cubic metres of natural gas over the first year. Once the central and southern sections have been put in operation, we will increase the capacity to 38 billion cubic metres a year, thus securing gas distribution to several regions in China, up to Shanghai.

The eastern section of the China-Russia gas pipeline is a major project implemented on behalf of the heads of state. It reflects the tireless quest of the two countries’ companies and citizens to develop and use environmentally safe energy sources and to preserve the environment.

We will continue to focus on safety and environmental standards, and to improve the efficiency of operational control in the interests of the safe and steady operation of the pipeline. In close contact with our Russian partners, we will ensure steady and consistent penetration of the gas market.

We are willing to further deepen cooperation with Russia in the oil and gas sector, which is an important component of Chinese-Russian relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction which are entering a new era, and promote the socioeconomic development of the two countries and the friendship between our peoples. The China National Petroleum Corporation is ready to receive natural gas from Russia.





Alexei Miller:

President Putin, President Xi Jinping,

The control room at the Atamanskaya Compressor Station controls the linear valve for feeding gas into the gas transport system of the People’s Republic of China.

Mr President, may I have your permission to give the command to open the linear valve?





Vladimir Putin:

Permission granted. Go ahead.



Alexei Miller:

Open the linear valve.



Igor Krutikov:

The linear valve on the border with the People’s Republic of China is now open. Gas supply has begun.





Alexei Miller:

President Putin, President Xi Jinping,

The valve is open, and gas is now entering the gas transport system of the People’s Republic of China.



Wang Jiuling:

President Xi Jinping, we are ready to receive Russian natural gas. May I have your permission to receive the gas?



Xi Jinping:

Go ahead.





Wang Jiuling:

Thank you, President Xi Jinping and President Putin. The ceremony for commissioning the gas pipeline from Russia to China along the eastern route is now complete.

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Congratulations!



Xi Jinping:

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62163






Meeting with senior Defence Ministry officials and defence industry top executives



The President opened a series of meetings on the current state and development prospects of the Russian Navy.



December 2, 2019 - 14:15 - Sochi







Ministry and top executives of defence industry enterprises twice a year.

This year, the format of the meetings is slightly different. Now each series of the meetings focuses on a specific branch or corps of the military. The new format also envisages visiting of respective military units and defence industry enterprises jointly with the Defence Ministry senior officials.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues and friends.

Today we are opening our traditional, 14th series of Sochi meetings on developing military capability and fine-tuning approaches to upgrading the Armed Forces, including with modern weapons and equipment. Therefore, today we have both senior officials of the Defence Ministry and our colleagues from the defence industry present.

Before anything else, I would like to note that, as a follow-up to the previous meetings in this format, several hundred instructions have been given. In my opinion, it is not the number of instructions that is important but the way they are executed. Overall, the quality of execution is satisfactory. Seventy percent of the instructions are fulfilled while the others are at various stages of completion. And this is very important because it indicates that these biannual meetings in Sochi are necessary and rather efficient.

Why? Because we know that, should something remain unaccomplished, six months later the responsible parties will have to explain why not and what needs to be done to iron out the situation.





This time, during the current series of meetings, we will consider mostly the issues related to the development of the Navy. We will discuss in detail its condition and trends in the further enhancement of its combat potential; we will listen to reports by the heads of the shipbuilding industry on how modern ships and vessels are being developed.

Historically, the Navy plays a very important role in ensuring our country’s defence capability, defends Russia’s interests in the World Ocean, and makes a hefty contribution to the preservation of military-political stability.

Nowadays, advanced ships armed with powerful state-of-the-art missiles that have improved characteristics in terms of accuracy and destruction range come into service with the Navy. This effective armament can radically change the situation on the theatres of operations and neutralise any aggressive actions against Russia.





The Navy has confirmed its high combat potential in the fight against terrorists in Syria, and I would like to note once again the smoothness of teamwork and coordination between the Navy’s units and task forces, as well as the professionalism of those involved in the operation, the supervisor personnel, sailors and naval aviators.

Today, a Russian naval task group is permanently deployed in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coast and there is our on-shore naval base at the port of Tartus.





I would also like to note that this year, Russian naval ships successfully pursued objectives assigned to them in the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, including in order to protect shipping and oppose piracy in the South China Sea, in the area of the Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Malacca, the Singapore Strait, and in the Caribbean. A total of 111 cruises have been performed, involving 70 surface ships and 27 support ships, as well as 15 multi-purpose submarines.

The Oceanic Shield 2019 exercise has been held at a high level, an exercise that for the first time involved naval aircraft from all the four fleets. The Northern Fleet carried out a unique tactical exercise in the Arctic, during which marines practiced over-the-beach landings on the coast and islands in the Arctic Ocean. Combat ships have drilled operations to protect maritime economic activity on the Arctic shelf.





We must continue to develop a modern, high-tech and well-balanced Navy and to provide it with state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.

Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the following high-priority goals.

First, it is important to retain the current pace of the Navy’s development. For this purpose, we need to ensure the coordinated work of state and military administrative agencies and the country’s industrial and research sectors.

Second, it is necessary to expand the Navy’s combat capabilities in the next few years. This largely depends on the scheduled adoption of upgraded frigates and submarines that can launch Zircon hypersonic missiles (these weapons are becoming crucial for maintaining strategic stability), as well as destroyers and multirole amphibious warfare ships. Today, I will ask you to report in detail about the work on new ships and their weapons systems.





And, third, the consistent development of the Navy should not be confined to the military organisation’s framework, and we have already discussed this many times with industry representatives.

Naval research and development projects are a driving force in scientific aspects and economic sectors all over the world. And we need to see to it that advanced military technologies and innovations facilitate the manufacture of popular civilian goods, and that defence industry companies and shipyards expand their range and production volumes.





I believe that we have a lot to discuss here because entire sectors and companies have accomplished a lot in some areas, and it appears that we need to create additional incentives in other sectors.

Let’s start working.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62175






Meeting with senior Defence Ministry officials and defence industry executives



The President held a meeting on the implementation of the state defence order for the Navy.



December 3, 2019 - 16:10 - Sochi







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

We are continuing our series of meetings here in Sochi and today we will discuss issues of the implementation of the state defence order for the Navy.

But before we get down to work, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the NATO summit is being held in London on November 3–4. It is devoted to NATO’s 70th anniversary. Let me recall that it was established on April 4, 1949 as a major component of the unfolding Cold War and in opposition to the Soviet Union.





The Soviet Union does not exist any longer and there is no Warsaw Pact, either. The military pact was set up in response to the creation of NATO but today NATO not only exists but is continually being developed. It was created with 12 states and now includes 29 countries. The aggregate military expenses of its members exceed 70 percent of the world’s total military spending.

Needless to say, the bloc mentality stereotypes of the past cannot be a good instrument for searching for and adopting effective decisions in the rapidly changing conditions of the modern world.





At the same time, as you know, we have repeatedly expressed our willingness to cooperate with NATO for jointly countering real threats, such as international terrorism, local armed conflicts, and WMD proliferation. We have repeatedly taken steps to meet the alliance halfway and offered it a positive agenda. We held a number of joint events but after 2008 cooperation was actually curtailed because the alliance’s actions towards Russia were inappropriate, if not blatant, and didn’t take into account Russia’s interests. Nevertheless, I hope that the interests of common security, as well as the stable and peaceful future of the planet will still prevail.

Right now we have to proceed from the fact that NATO’s expansion, the development of its military infrastructure near the Russian border, pose a potential threat to our national security. Therefore, coming back to this meeting’s agenda, I would like to note that the technical overhaul of the Russian Armed Forces has been and will remain the focus of our closest attention.





Under the state defence procurement order, this year the Navy will receive over 480 major models of arms and equipment. They include two submarines, 23 surface ships and logistics vessels, three aircraft, four coastal missile systems and more than 400 units of various missile and torpedo weaponry.

The strategic naval nuclear forces are being re-equipped with state-of-the-art nuclear powered Borei class submarines with Bulava ballistic missiles. The Borei-A flagship submarine, Knyaz Vladimir, is in the final stage of its state trials. Four more submarines under this project are in development.





As concerns the Russian Navy’s strategic non-nuclear forces, the core fleet consists of ships carrying the Kalibr high-precision long-range missiles. As you know, these missiles can hit targets as far as 1,500 km away. Fulfilling the State Armament Programme will allow us to double the number of these missiles by 2023.

The Navy is increasingly being expanded with open ocean vessels. Nine surface ships of this type are currently under construction. Overall, modern weapons account for about 68 percent of total Russian Navy armaments.





Once again, we will continue to develop and upgrade the Navy, making it highly efficient and suitable for open-sea operations. I would like to ask the senior officials of the Defence Ministry, the Ministry of Industry and Trade as well as senior executives in the defence industry to report on the priorities of this work.

Let’s begin.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62228






News conference following Russian-Serbian talks



After completing the international consultations, Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic made press statements and answered journalists’ questions.



December 4, 2019 - 16:40 - Sochi







................................................


Question (retranslated):

I have a question for the President of Serbia. Mr President, you mentioned yesterday that you would carry out a reform of the army and suspend the arms procurement. How is military cooperation with Russia going? You just mentioned the gas agreement. Will Serbian consumers get enough gas?



Aleksandar Vucic:

I answered your second question. Serbian citizens will have enough gas as a result of today's meeting and what President Putin had to tell us about this. I am happy to be making regular payments for gas.

I want to tell Russian citizens that I was in Sochi six years ago. President Putin received our delegation. Sochi looks nothing like it was six years ago. I congratulate you on these amazing results. It is now a completely different city, which is 10 times more beautiful than six years ago.

We resolved the gas issue.

We enjoy excellent military cooperation. We conduct numerous joint events, and our military-technical cooperation is excellent. I am thankful to Minister Shoigu for supporting our army. We discussed this. We have already purchased many important and necessary items. During the Victory Day parade, President Putin suggested what we should buy. I heeded his advice. This equipment will arrive in Serbia soon. Give it some time; do not be impatient. We will do what we can, financing permitting. Everything is going well. I am grateful to everyone. We do not have any problems regarding this cooperation.

I am only asking the people in Serbia, and I will not be referring to what our Russian friends have to say, just look at our army today versus six years ago. I am very proud and pleased with our cooperation.



Question:

I would like to return to cooperation in the energy sector. Serbia will become a transit country for the TurkStream. Can you please clarify if Russia and Serbia are ready for the fact that starting January 1, gas transit through Ukraine may be suspended? What are the alternative supply routes?

To what extent will this project result in reduced gas supplies to Serbia and Europe in general? Perhaps, there will be no cuts for Serbia, but how much lower will the gas supplies to Europe be? Is a scenario being considered where Serbia may refuse to participate in this project under pressure from third countries? Was there any pressure from the United States?

Mr Vucic, is there an understanding of how much Russian gas Serbia will buy through TurkStream and how much it can transit?



Vladimir Putin:

I need you to clarify something.

I did not quite catch the part where you mentioned reduced supplies. Why is that? What reduction are you talking about? We keep increasing our supplies, and this year will mark an all-time high for our supplies to Europe. What kind of reduction are you talking about? I do not understand.



Question:

Can gas supplies to Europe be reduced in connection with the suspension of transit across Ukraine?



Vladimir Putin:

First of all, you could not have missed hearing this as I never stop to say that we are willing to keep Ukrainian transit in place. Our current talks in Vienna are focused on this. This is no secret.

True, the terms offered to us by potential Ukrainian transiters have so far not been economically viable for us. But I hope this is just a request for a counteroffer, and we will be able to coordinate our positions. This is my first point.

The second point ‒ Serbia will have enough gas in any event via various other routes. (Applause.)

We discussed today an increase in supplies to Serbia. Due to economic growth, Serbia has higher demand for this primary energy source. I would like to congratulate Serbia’s leadership and the President of Serbia in this context because we are really seeing that economic growth leads to higher consumption, primarily in industry. General industry is on the rise.

Will we be able to ensure higher supplies in the near future without Ukrainian transit? This is the question we are discussing.

As for Serbia’s potential participation in the transit of Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline, this is possible. In fact, all our partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe are raising this question. We are ready.

The Serbian section of the gas pipe from the Bulgarian border to the Hungarian border is almost ready: 90 percent of the pipes have been laid and 85 percent of them are ready; they are already in the trenches. Currently, the question is pumping stations. This will take several weeks. But what we are seeing is that despite numerous assurances and numerous requests for Russia to supply gas to Bulgaria via Turkey, Bulgaria is deliberately delaying the implementation of the project on its territory. This is strange and disappointing. I would like to say that straight out, publicly.

Bulgaria’s leaders have asked for TurkStream many times, at any cost, after they ruined South Stream; but even in this case they were in no hurry, apparently due to outside pressure.

Well, let’s wait and see how this project is carried out in the future on Bulgarian territory. If the Bulgarians do not want it, I mean the Bulgarian leaders rather than the Bulgarian people, we will find other ways of delivering on our potential in the south of Europe.

We have many other energy projects with Serbia, not only gas supplies. As I said, our oil and gas company is working actively. It is the biggest investor, as I mentioned, and it will increase its investment. We also have plans on other primary sources and are ready to discuss alternative energy sources as well.

In general I think this area of cooperation has very good prospects for us.



Aleksandar Vucic:

We discussed at length this issue at today’s meeting and, of course, I am very happy to hear President Putin’s statement. For us the most important news is that Serbia will receive gas, regardless. This is great news for our people. And for us it was a difficult and serious situation.

Of course, I would like to express our gratitude to President Putin once again for his permanent and unequivocal support for Serbia and its people.

I hope he will come to Serbia next year and will open the St Sava Cathedral with us. This is one of the most important and biggest Orthodox cathedrals in the world.

Thank you very much once again for today’s meeting, for finding the time in your busy schedule to meet with us.

See you soon, Mr President!




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/62240






Meeting with Defence Ministry leadership and heads of defence industry enterprises



December 4, 2019 - 18:00 - Sochi







The Supreme Commander-in-Chief continued a series of meetings on military subjects. The meetings are on the current state of and development prospects for the Russian Navy. On this day, the meeting participants discussed issues related to the use of high technology in the Navy.

The latest series of the President’s meetings with the Ministry’s leadership and defence industry representatives began in Sochi on Monday.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today we are holding the third meeting on the development of the Navy.

As you know, the effectiveness of the Navy, as well as of the Armed Forces in general, largely depends on the timely receipt of data from space systems, the reliable operation of navigation and communications systems, the integration of all information resources, and artificial intelligence capabilities for solving problems on the battlefield. These are very complex issues, mainly closed to public discussion, and we will consider them in detail today.

I would like to note that the leading countries are rigorously developing modern space systems for military and dual purpose use, and upgrading and improving their technical specifications. As for the US military-political leaders, they actually quite openly consider outer space as a theatre of war and, accordingly, are planning military operations there.

To maintain strategic superiority in this area, the United States is accelerating the development of space forces, which are already carrying out operational training for this purpose.





Russia has consistently opposed and will continue to oppose the militarisation of space. At the same time, the developments in this context require us to focus on strengthening the orbital group, as well as the aerospace industry as a whole.

Russia’s defence and dual-purpose orbit constellation has benefited from significant upgrades in recent years, considerably enhancing the capability of the missile warning system’s space components.

Satellites within the Unified Space System can promptly detect ballistic launches from military bases and from sea, and send alerts to the country’s leadership and the national command post and to operations centres.

This essential element in the airspace defence system once again proved its effectiveness during the Grom-2019 strategic command-post exercises.

Let me add that this year, we have completed the deployment of a high-speed communication space complex in geostationary orbit.

Of course, we are committed to laying the groundwork for future advances in this area. Defence institutions are developing new systems and complexes, and manufacturers are learning to make spacecraft using Russian-made components.





In May 2019, we had a separate meeting to discuss the current state and future of the space troops within the Aerospace Forces, and instructions to this effect were issued following the meeting. Today, I would like to hear from you about their implementation.

There is another important subject that is relevant for all services and branches of the Armed Forces. I am referring to developing and delivering up-to-date electronic warfare systems.

Over the past years, companies operating in the defence industry have created over 20 electronic warfare technology samples designed to enable electronic warfare troops to deliver on their mission, while surpassing similar foreign solutions.

We need to keep improving these systems, as well as data systems for ensuring the effective deployment of troops.

In doing so, we need to keep in mind the experience of using electronic warfare technology in exercises and during combat, considering that they were used quite actively during the operation in Syria.

I would like to ask you to report on the priorities in this critical sphere.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62244






Meeting with Defence Ministry leadership and heads of defence industry enterprises



The President held the final meeting in a series of meetings on the development of the Armed Forces and the defence industry.



December 5, 2019 - 18:50 - Sochi







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today is our final meeting in this December series of meetings with the leadership of the Defence Ministry and other departments, as well as defence industry enterprises. We have considered the key targets for the development of the Russian Navy. We discussed with the heads of the defence industry enterprises their progress on the state defence order, primarily as concerns building, modernising, repairing and servicing the weaponry and equipment for the Navy.

We specifically focused on the implementation of instructions given during the May meetings, including the one to expand the orbital group of military and dual-purpose spacecraft and increase their capabilities.

Our current agenda includes the development and implementation of advanced technologies, including AI-based solutions. As I have already noted, these days they are widely used to create modern types of weapons and equipment, robotic systems, weapons based on innovative physical principles that will largely determine the future of our Army and Navy.

We need to comprehensively analyse and evaluate the test results of promising weapons systems. Successful research and development in the aforementioned high-tech areas are of crucial importance for the development of civilian sector, for increasing the competitiveness of the national science, and creating advanced industries and infrastructure for the digital economy.





Today, we will also discuss measures to counter potential threats stemming from the United States’ withdrawal from the INF Treaty.

To reiterate, Russia is not interested in launching an arms race or deploying missiles in environments where no missiles are currently deployed. As you may be aware, we announced a unilateral moratorium on deploying such missiles and invited our colleagues in Europe and the United States to join in. So far, only the President of the French Republic, Mr Macron, has responded. There is no response from our other partners. This forces us to take measures to counter these threats.

By the way, we are all well aware of the fact that the United States unilaterally withdrew from another major treaty on limiting missile defence systems from 2002. They acted in a straightforward manner back then and took responsibility for this step and did not even try to shift the blame to Russia. This was fairly difficult to do back then, it seemed.

Now, they have also withdrawn from that unilaterally, but as we can see, attempts are being made to shift the responsibility onto us. This position has no grounds whatsoever, but nevertheless, the attempt is being made.





The New START treaty, which expires soon, is another item on the disarmament agenda. All of our proposals to renew this treaty are on the table. So far, we have not received any response from our partners. In this regard, I would like to reiterate our position: Russia is willing to immediately, as soon as possible, before the year is out, renew this treaty without any preconditions. I am stating this officially so that there are no double or triple interpretations of our position later on.

We will discuss today ways to oppose any unfriendly step, and the best and the least expensive operational decisions.

Let's get to work.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62250
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 15th, 2019 #29
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Talks with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko



Vladimir Putin held talks in Sochi with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who arrived in Russia on a working visit.



December 7, 2019 - 17:50 - Sochi







The participants discussed key issues on the bilateral agenda, including prospects for deepening integration within the Union State.

Taking part in the talks on the Russian side were Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, First Deputy Prime Minister – Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Lukashenko, in my very brief opening remarks I would like to say, firstly, that we are grateful to you for accepting the invitation to come here today. It is especially important today because tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the Union Treaty.

Our colleagues at the government level, the ministers and prime ministers, have conducted substantive work to analyse what has been done under the Union Treaty, talked about what and how should be done to implement the pending provisions, what could be brought up to date in view of the changing circumstances, including our relations with our other colleagues within the Eurasian Economic Community, and to discuss future prospects. I think that our meeting today is a milestone in this respect.

Thank you for being here in Russia today. I would like to express the hope that we will continue doing everything possible for our peoples and countries to feel their affinity, to continue moving forward, first of all, in the economy, of course, but also in the social sphere, which I consider to be extremely important, and to get tangible advantages from this integration.

Once again, welcome.





President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko:

Mr Putin, first of all, thank you very much for the invitation, and for the wonderful weather here, in Russia.

Indeed, today is the eve of a great event – I wouldn’t say holiday – the 20th anniversary. Much has been done in these 20 years, as we all know. A lot is still to be done, and we do not hide it. You said that our governments had seriously analysed the treaty, looked into what we can do and what we cannot do so as not be engaged in unnecessary work. But you and I have addressed this issue a number of times, and as you said, often adjusted the activities of our groups, our teams on analysing and drafting plans for further integration of our states.





I watched television earlier, I watched all Russian channels and some others, read the Telegram channels, as everybody does now, and everyone in Russia is asking the question, “Why is Lukashenko going there, what has he got anyway?” I should say, Mr Putin, that we have indeed done a lot but we talk very little about what we have achieved. And we should talk about it.

We have come only to consider together the progress of the analysis, as you said, of our Treaty. We do not ask for anything and we do not insist on anything: we came to agreement a long time ago. As we develop our Treaty, people and companies must have equal living and working conditions. That is all. Equal conditions – and nothing else is needed.





We are not asking, as some say, for cheap gas and cheap oil. We are ready to buy gas for $200, and we can pay more than $63 per barrel of oil. The key is to have equal conditions. If our companies pay $200, it means the competing companies should also pay this price. Otherwise we will fail to establish a foundation for our relations. You as a researcher, PhD in Economics, understand this as well as I do. This is basically the only problem that our governments are working on.

Mr Medvedev said that there is a place to take everything we will fail to agree on. This is why we have gathered to resolve these issues.

Thank you again for inviting me here. Actually, my house is also here, behind the fence, a warm and comfortable house. You have been there and seen it.





Vladimir Putin:

It is nearby.



Alexander Lukashenko:

So I can say I am at home here.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62269






Normandy format summit



President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky held a meeting at the Elysee Palace.



December 9, 2019 - 22:30 - Paris







Following the talks, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Zelensky gave a joint news conference. Paris ”Normandy“ Summit Common agreed conclusions have been published.
























































Vladimir Putin also held bilateral meetings with the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine within the framework of the summit.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62275






Paris ”Normandy“ Summit Common agreed conclusions



December 9, 2019



VERSION AGREEE

The President of the French Republic, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, the President of the Russian Federation and the President of Ukraine met in Paris today.

The Minsk agreements (Minsk Protocol of 5 September 2014, Minsk Memorandum of 19 September 2014 and the Minsk Package of Measures of 12 February 2015) continue to be the basis of the work of the Normandy format whose member states are committed to their full implementation.

They underline their shared aspiration to a sustainable and comprehensive architecture of trust and security in Europe, based on the OSCE principles, for which the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine is one of several important steps.

On this basis, they decide on the following:

1. Immediate measures to stabilize the situation in the conflict area

The sides commit to a full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire, strengthened by the implementation of all necessary ceasefire support measures, before the end of the year 2019.

They will support the development and implementation of an updated demining plan, on the basis of the decision of the Trilateral Contact Group on demining activities, dated March 3, 2016.

They will support an agreement within the Trilateral Contact Group on three additional disengagement areas, with the aim of disengaging forces and equipment by the end of March 2020.

They encourage the Trilateral Contact Group to facilitate the release and exchange of conflict-related detainees by the end of the year, based on the principle of ”all for all“, starting with ”all identified for all identified“, with the understanding that international organisations including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) be granted full and unconditional access to all detained persons.

They will support an agreement within the Trilateral Contact Group, within 30 days, on new crossing points along the line of contact, based primarily on humanitarian criteria.

They recall that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) should be able to use all possibilities of the 21 March 2014 mandate, and have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine in order to fully implement its mandate.

2. Measures to implement the political provisions of the Minsk agreements

The sides express interest in agreeing within the Normandy format (N4) and the Trilateral Contact Group on all the legal aspects of the Special Order of Local Self-Government – special status – of Certain Areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions – as outlined in the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements from 2015 – in order to ensure its functioning on a permanent basis.

They consider it necessary to incorporate the ”Steinmeier formula“ into the Ukrainian legislation, in accordance with the version agreed upon within the N4 and the Trilateral Contact Group.

3. Follow up

They ask their Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Political Advisors to ensure the implementation of the agreements reached and they agree to have another meeting in this format within four months on the political and security conditions, inter alia for the organization of the local elections.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/supplement/5465






Joint news conference following a Normandy format summit



Following a Normandy format summit, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Zelensky gave a joint news conference.



December 10, 2019 - 02:20 - Paris







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

In principle, I agree with what the participants of these talks have said today.

We adopted a final joint document, which has reaffirmed the absence of any alternative to the strict observance of the Minsk Agreements signed on February 12, 2015 and highlighted the importance of launching a direct dialogue between the conflicting parties.

The participants in the talks welcomed the disengagement of forces and weapons in three pilot areas, as my colleagues have said. As we see it, this is indeed a major step towards a continued de-escalation in the southeast of Ukraine and a comprehensive ceasefire. We hope that the disengagement process will continue and that mine-clearing and de-fortification processes will be launched in the disengagement areas.

We also need to coordinate the reconciliation process in Ukraine with the political reforms that are stipulated in the Minsk Agreements.

First of all, the Ukrainian Constitution must be amended to formalise the special status of Donbass on a permanent basis. Of course, the duration of the agreement on the special status of separate Donbass districts must be extended and ultimately made permanent, as it is stipulated in the Minsk Agreements I have mentioned before. Certain amendments should be made to the agreement, primarily those related to the implementation of the Steinmeier Formula. There should be no delay in the implementation of the other commitments either, primarily regarding amnesty and a statutory ban on the persecution of persons in connection with the events that took place in the southeast of Ukraine.

The parties to the talks have supported the idea of coordinating the exchange of detainees based on the “all for all” principle.





It is important to increase the number of checkpoints on the contact line and to create the best possible conditions so that the hundreds and thousands of local residents, who have to wait in line for hours now, can cross of the border quickly. We tend to discuss large projects and major humanitarian issues, but we must not forget about the people who live there, and all our agreements must be aimed at improving their lives not in a distant future, but now.

Ultimately, I believe, as we all agree, that this meeting was useful. I would like to express gratitude to President Macron for his initiative and to thank him and Chancellor Merkel for paying so much attention to this matter, which is not one of their direct duties, but they believe that it is important for all of us, for both Ukraine and Russia, as well as for our European neighbours. We greatly appreciate it that they are paying so much attention to this and doing so much to attain a final settlement. For its part, Russia will do everything in its power to contribute to these efforts.

Thank you.


<…>





Question (retranslated):

Good afternoon, Messrs Presidents, Madame Federal Chancellor,

Can we say this evening that a real thaw has started in Europe? Or is there still a risk that the conflict will continue? Will we have yet another frozen conflict in Europe?

Mr Putin, do you think we are witnessing a détente or thaw? Do you think that we can move forward towards real peace?

I would like to take advantage of Mr Putin’s presence here in Paris to ask one more question. WADA has decided today to ban Russian athletes from the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Beijing. This is certainly a significant decision. Will you appeal it? Do you think, just as Prime Minister Medvedev, that there is a serious problem with doping in Russia? Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

Speaking about a thaw, yes, I do believe that it has started. What else can I say? First, there has been an exchange of detained persons. It has taken place. We have brought about disengagement in three areas. It has taken place. We have met in the Normandy format and discussed a broad range of very important issues, and we have achieved progress on many of them. It has taken place. Taken together, all of this is reason to believe that the process is moving in the right direction.

As for Russia’s position, I said in my opening remarks that Russia will do everything in its power so that all problems are solved and all questions settled, and the conflict ultimately ends. However, I would like to point out that it is very important, as I have said before, that the conflicting parties talk to each other, that they engage in a direct dialogue. This is what matters. No conflict was ever settled without a direct dialogue between the conflicting parties.

Regarding doping, the WADA decision and Russia’s potential appeal against it.

First of all, we need to analyse this decision. Here is the obvious part, which I can see immediately. For example, there are no complaints to the National Olympic Committee. If there are no complaints, the country must be able to take part in competitions under the national flag, according to the Olympic Charter. This means that this part of the WADA decision contradicts the Olympic Charter. Therefore, we have good reason to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

There are also some other arguments, but first our experts and lawyers should analyse everything so that we can talk with our partners competently. However, I believe that the main thing, and everyone seems to accept it, is that punishment must be individual and based on the acts committed by an individual, as it has been since the Roman Empire. Punishment must not be collective, that is, applied to the persons who have no connection with a given crime. Everyone is aware of this. I believe that the WADA experts are aware of this as well. But if they take decisions on collective punishment, I think this is a reason to believe that these decisions do not seek to keep sports clean but are based on political considerations, which has nothing to do with the interests of sport and the Olympic Movement.





Question (retranslated):

Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Madame Chancellor, you held a bilateral meeting with President Putin before the summit today. I would like to enquire whether you discussed during that meeting the assassination in Tiergarten, Berlin, because it had exerted a very strong influence on relations between Russia and Germany. One had the impression that Russia was willing to cooperate with the investigation into this assassination.

Mr Putin, you said two German diplomats would be expelled, and you announced retaliatory measures. When will these measures be introduced? How grave is the crisis in relations between Germany and Russia?



Vladimir Putin:

You said that a Georgian national was killed. This is not quite true. I know that a man died in Berlin. And he is not just a Georgian, he is a man who took an active part in combat operations on the side of the separatists in the Caucasus. He is not an ethnic Georgian.

This man was on Russia’s wanted list, and he is a very cruel and blood-smeared man. He killed 98 people during just one operation he was involved in. He was one of the organisers of explosions in the Moscow Metro.

I do not know what has happened to him; this is a criminal milieu, where absolutely anything can happen. But I believe that it is incorrect to expel diplomats who have nothing to do with this matter, solely on the basis of preliminary conjectures.

You asked about retaliation. There are unwritten practical rules, unwritten laws for such cases: you have expelled our diplomats, we will expel yours. That is all. Is this any kind of crisis in relations? There is no silver lining to it, but I do not think that there is a crisis or that one should arise. But I agree with Madame Chancellor that we must investigate this matter. We will do our best to find out the truth and to help our German colleagues.

Incidentally, it would have been good if we had cooperated before these tragic circumstances occurred. The Russian side repeatedly urged our German colleagues to extradite this criminal and murderer. Regrettably, we failed to reach an understanding.





Question (retranslated):

I have a question for President Zelensky.

It concerns the next Normandy format meeting, which is scheduled to take place in four months. Are there any preliminary conditions, so that we can see if there is any progress? Are we correct in understanding that although progress has been made regarding the exchange of “all for all”, no agreements of principle have been reached on the local elections in Donbass, which should take place in the autumn of 2020, and no final solution has been coordinated regarding the control of the Ukrainian border? Why is that?

And here is my second question: Will the problem of gas transit after January 1 be settled?

I also have a question for the President of Russia. Why are you so strongly against Ukraine’s desire to control the border with Donbass during the elections? Is this really a stumbling block? Can the settlement of this problem help to launch the peace process in eastern Ukraine? Will you continue to offer explanations for the protection of Russian speakers now that Ukraine has a Russian-speaking president, who is also supported by people in the southeastern regions?



Vladimir Putin:

Do you remember a popular children’s poem: “We have gas in our flat. And do you?” And you do have it too, and will have it. But it may cost you much less if we agree to work honestly together. It could cost 25 percent less than the end consumers, primarily industrial facilities, are paying now. Because the price of gas for household consumers is subsidised, and we cannot calculate [export] gas prices based on this subsidised price. This is ordinary economic logic. This is how it is.

As for the border, Mr Zelensky and I have different positions on this issue. Our position is very simple: we stand for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. The Minsk Agreements say – you can read it for yourself – that Ukraine will be able to start restoring control over that territory, over that section of the border on day one after the local elections. This is what it says. And this process should end after the completion of a comprehensive political settlement. This is what the text of the agreement says. Why should the Minsk Agreements be reopened and revised? All the measures set out in that package are interconnected. If we revise one of them, this will lead to the revision of others and we will lose the agreements and create a situation where nothing can be done. This is our logic, and I believe that it is justified.

Regarding Russian speakers. We do want Russian speakers, and not only in Donbass but throughout Ukraine, to have equal democratic rights. I would like to point out that 38 percent of Ukrainian citizens regard themselves as Russian speakers. However, all of the so-called Russian schools will convert to the Ukrainian language starting next year. By the way, as far as I know, the other [national minority] schools – Hungarian, Romanian and Polish – are to start the process in 2023. As if there are more Hungarian speakers than Russian speakers in Ukraine. You must admit that this raises questions to which we have no answers.

But I hope that we will keep our focus on this issue, just as all the other pending problems. This is why we will meet in four months.





Question:

RIA Novosti.

A question for President Putin. You spoke about the Minsk Agreements being inviolable and having no alternative. But Chancellor Merkel said just now that the Minsk Agreements are flexible. So have you ultimately reaffirmed the agreements’ inviolability and their non-alternative nature?



Vladimir Putin:

You see, any agreement has some degree of flexibility, because some things written on paper can be interpreted by the parties in different ways. And we did have a discussion today on some aspects of the Minsk Agreements. There are things spelled out directly, and it is quite difficult to argue with those. But there are other things, which emerged as compromises during our discussions in Minsk in 2015. And different parties interpret them differently. In this sense, I agree with Madame Federal Chancellor – she is right.

Well, this is what we meet for – to arrive at a common understanding, a single standard in what they call legal engineering. But I also agree that there is no alternative to the Minsk Agreements, and we must make every effort to ensure that they are fully implemented.


<…>




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62277
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 15th, 2019 #30
Ray Allan
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 15,170
Default

Welcome back, Alex.
__________________
"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy."

--Henry A. Kissinger, jewish politician and advisor
 
Old December 15th, 2019 #31
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Allan View Post
Welcome back, Alex.
Hello, Ray!

Thanks for the welcome.
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 18th, 2019 #32
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Meeting of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights



December 10, 2019 - 18:50 - The Kremlin, Moscow







In the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, a consultative body that assists the President in exercising his constitutional authority in this area.

Participants in the meeting, held on Human Rights Day, discussed a wide range of issues, pertaining, in particular, to the improvement of the judicial system, support of compatriots abroad, and protection of minors’ rights.

Human Rights Day was established in 1950 by a resolution of the UN General Assembly, two years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues,

Our meeting is taking place on Human Rights Day, which is widely observed at the initiative of the UN General Assembly.

We had quite a few events today. In the morning there was the opening ceremony at the Human Rights House that brought together human rights ombudsmen from all regions of Russia. I think and I strongly believe, and you will probably agree with me, that they do need our constant support. After all, they are working out there on the ground. Protecting the legitimate interests of people around them is an extremely important endeavour. I think that these efforts can yield tangible results.





Over the past year, the Council, its permanent commissions and working groups, have focused on a number of matters that are relevant to both individuals and society in general. Just as before, the Council has also travelled to other regions to hold visiting meetings there.





The Council now has a new chair, Mr Valery Fadeyev. The rotation of its leadership was a natural process. Mikhail Fedotov served in this position for nine years, longer than any other Council chair. Let me emphasise that he made a major contribution to streamlining the Council’s work.





And this work continues. The public and the media are used to hearing S.P.Ch. [the Russian acronym for Human Rights Council]. However, there is another dimension to the Council’s work that is equally important. I am referring to developing civil society.





I believe that the Council must pay special attention and make additional efforts in this area. I hope that Mr Fadeyev will go to great lengths in his efforts in terms of structuring the Council’s works, its agenda, including by relying on the practices inspired by the Civic Chamber.

Colleagues,

In the past three years, a ceremony for presenting the National Awards for achievements in human rights activity and charity work has been timed to coincide with Human Rights Day. It is of great importance to our society, our country and its citizens.





In this connection, I decided to equate the status of the National Awards in these areas with the National Awards for achievements in science, technology, literature and the arts, for achievements in humanitarian work. This applies both to the amount of the award and the awards ceremony itself.

The Executive Order on the 2019 awards was published today. One of the most experienced members of our Council, Maria Bolshakova, won the human rights award.





She has led the public organisation, Union of Russian Military Personnel Families, for 18 years now and, together with other like-minded people, she provides support to families of service personnel who died in the line of duty.

I congratulate you with all my heart. Thank you very much.





The award for achievements in charity work was awarded to Konstantin Khabensky. The foundation he has established helps children with severe brain diseases and is involved in advanced medical training, equipment supplies for hospitals, and so on. The laureate insignia will be presented on June 12.





The Council must take full advantage of its powers and mechanisms and fully utilise the potential of the standing commissions, of which there are 20, including on promoting NPOs, social, environmental, economic and cultural rights, and civil liberties and civic activism.

By the way, I would like to draw your attention to what is happening in sports, and I would also like to ask you for support.





Colleagues,

The work of the Council and its commissions should be made completely open, and broad contact should be maintained with the media. Of course, people should know what our Council is doing, what issues it raises, how it interacts with the government and civil society bodies and, importantly, what it achieves.





I believe that it is necessary to cooperate more actively with the Civic Chamber and federal and regional commissioners for human, children's and entrepreneurs’ rights. Joining efforts – especially when it comes to pressing issues posed by the people themselves – will, I think, help speed up their resolution.





We must do our best to make sure that people trust the institutions created specifically to effectively uphold their rights and promote civil society.





Thank you. That is all I wanted to say at the beginning.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62285






Meeting with regional human rights ombudsmen



Vladimir Putin met with human rights ombudsmen from the Russian regions. The conversation between the President and regional human rights commissioners took place after the meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.



December 10, 2019 - 20:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

We are meeting on Human Rights Day, which is, in fact, your professional holiday.

I just met – you are aware of this – with members of the Presidential Council [for Civil Society and Human Rights]. It was a very engaging discussion, very useful, I believe, and interesting.





You, in fact, are doing the same work, but from a quasi-state level, so to speak. You are not at a particularly high level, but this is precisely the point of your work. The work of the human rights commissioners – we have created this institute in almost all regions – is very important because it’s easier for people to reach you and to approach you with their concerns. Importantly, you work on the ground in almost all regions.

Of course, you have a better sense of what is happening locally, what people need, and how to better help them in certain specific situations.





This is important and very much needed. After all, human rights commissioners must have certain competencies. They must use their authority and commitment to help people resolve their problems. They must also use these competencies to achieve what we all – in this case, you – are working for.





I know it is not easy and, perhaps, sometimes even difficult to work with many government employees who believe they are the only people who care about others, but at the same time as they get focused on their everyday routine, paperwork and formal matters and the need to attend to necessary but often formal matters, they can, in a sense, lose contact with people and their everyday concerns and are unaware of what has to be done to make their lives better.





You have the opportunity, as you can put your position, the number of phones on your desk and any other signs of authority aside, to work directly with people and help them resolve their concerns through the right authorities.

Since we are meeting on Human Rights Day, which was established to observe human rights in various walks of life, I would like to wish you every success in your work. I want to say that, as far as I’m concerned, I will do my best to support you and put the officials at any level in the same frame of mind, so they can pursue the same objective: governors and their deputies in the regions and at the municipal level; I will urge chief executives to be attentive to what you say, what you suggest, because it is a very important part of relations with the public, with each individual.





When officials have no time to get down to the real business of addressing certain matters or do not have a feeling for what is happening around them, you should step forward (to assist them). Hopefully, this is what really happens. Once again, I wish all the best to everyone.

I know that my colleagues at the federal level are also involved in international activities that are in high demand and this is also done in the interests of our citizens, who might end up in a difficult situation while traveling abroad.





Our Commissioner for Human Rights (Tatyana Moskalkova) is regularly involved in these activities and she acts – so unexpectedly for me – persistently, fearlessly, and I would say effectively. I wish you all the best with your work.

Thank you very much for your efforts.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62287






Meeting of Russian Pobeda (Victory) Organising Committee



The Kremlin hosted a meeting, chaired by Vladimir Putin, of the Russian Pobeda (Victory) Organising Committee on preparations for the Year of Remembrance and Glory, and preserving the memory and preventing the falsification of the history of the Great Patriotic War.



December 11, 2019 - 17:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow







Among other things, the participants discussed ways to support veterans, to promote the fallen war heroes search units’ activities and to implement the project Beyond the Statute of Limitations, as well as to conduct military memorial activities, in particular, the construction of the Soviet Soldier Memorial in Rzhev.

The Pobeda Organising Committee includes senior officials from the Presidential Executive Office, the Government, the Federation Council, the State Duma, federal executive bodies, and presidential envoys to federal districts and representatives of a number of public organisations.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory in World War II, the Great Patriotic War, and will be held in Russia as the Year of Remembrance and Glory. We need to join our efforts to fill it with heartfelt, expressive and memorable content, and preclude any chance of adopting a perfunctory or formal approach to organising events wherever they may take place, in a major city or a small rural town. There are heroes of the Great Patriotic War – front-line soldiers and home front workers – everywhere. They must receive the highest and most cordial attention and care. Heads of regions, and even more so, heads of municipalities must be aware of the needs of each veteran and respond to their requests quickly and in full.





Particular attention should be paid to preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War and its heroes. I am talking about updating museum displays and holding special exhibitions, events and scientific and practical conferences, including systematic introduction of archival documents into scientific circulation, so that they are accessible to the public, including the use of modern digital technology and online platforms.





Local authorities must constantly control issues related to the maintenance of military memorials. Strict compliance with the standards of inspecting and registering newly found common graves envisaged by law must also be a priority.





It is also important to actively support corresponding public initiatives, cooperate with search parties, volunteers, local historians and enthusiasts, those who are interested in this and invest their heart, time and years of their lives – everyone who educates young people with their actions rather than just words and helps teenagers and children take in such values as love for their Fatherland and understanding what Fatherland means for people and citizens and why it must be cared for. This is a truly educational mission based on personal example, sincere actions and important results that are clear to everyone.





This must be considered in the development of the new programme, Patriotic Education of the Citizens of the Russian Federation. The current programme expires in 2020, and I am asking the Ministry of Education together with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Culture, and other concerned agencies and specialised public organisations to not work too long on the new document.





A well thought out, and importantly, honest patriotic agenda in accordance with the views of today’s youth must strengthen in the generations to come the basic values tested by life itself and reflect our traditions and national identity as well as the entire history of Russia with its trials and triumphs.





The Great Patriotic War, of course, plays a special role in this. It has left a deep trace in the lives of the peoples of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation and is inseparable from the history of every Russian family. This is the foundation of what we have done and will do; I mean protection of the historic truth and the names of our heroes.





Attempts to distort this historical truth never stop. In addition to distortions by the heirs of Nazi accomplices, now this has been happening at some respectable international institutions and European agencies.





You know that the European Parliament’s recent resolution virtually equated Nazi aggressors with the Soviet Union. They just about blame the USSR, along with Nazi Germany, for unleashing the Second World War. As if they had forgotten who attacked Poland on September 1, 1939, and the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.





And anyone who tries to argue with such unfounded and brazen lies are in advance accused of an “information war against a democratic Europe”, this is a quote.

Our answer to these lies is the truth. We will continue to speak about events and facts of the Great Patriotic War and to disclose and publish full archival materials. It seems that some of our opponents either cannot read or write, or they do not have eyes, and they pretend to know nothing.





But we will speak about this, including the victories and defeats of the Red Army, the tragic fate of our war prisoners, the courage of the underground and the shame of the collaborators, the Holocaust tragedy and crimes against civilians, and the atrocities of the nationalists who were Hitler’s minions.





I am convinced that there are no, and cannot be any, “unprofitable” or “inconvenient” pages in history. This is necessary in the aggregate, as a single whole, both for us and for our future generations, which is especially important, without any embellishment or distortion.





Memory and pride should unite us, make us stronger, help young people fully realise their engagement with the Motherland, the great deeds of their ancestors, and responsibility for the future of Russia. This is what should become the main spiritual meaning of the Year of Memory and Glory. And the main activity, I repeat, should be real and targeted support, concern for veterans.

Let us discuss all of this.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62293






Reception to celebrate Heroes of Fatherland Day



Vladimir Putin spoke at a reception to mark Heroes of the Fatherland Day.



December 11, 2019 - 18:15 - The Kremlin, Moscow







Over 350 members of the military and civilians who displayed particular courage and heroism have been invited to attend the event at St George Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace. The participants included Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation, and full cavaliers of the Order of St George.

The tradition of holding annual receptions to celebrate Heroes of the Fatherland Day, marked on December 9, was resumed in 2013.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends.

Today we honour Heroes of Russia, Heroes of the Soviet Union, and holders of the Orders of Glory and St George, and pay tribute to people whose names are forever recorded in the annals of courage and bravery at the service to their Fatherland.

Even the place where we are at now, St George Hall at the Kremlin, represents their valour, and by tradition we celebrate Heroes of the Fatherland Day here. It is a hall of our military glory, and a symbol of selfless service to Russia.





We honour all those who have defended the freedom and independence of our country. We commemorate the heroic deeds of the famous generals and fearless soldiers. We pay tribute to the feat of the Russian army of 1812 and to those who gave their lives on the battlefields of the First World War. And those who defeated Nazism and won a grandiose, historic victory in the Great Patriotic War are rightfully referred to as the heroic generation.





Love for the Fatherland is a sacred feeling for our people. It moves us forward, and gives strength to withstand all trials. And it makes any enemy tremble and retreat.





Gathered here in St George Hall are veterans of the Great Patriotic War as well as young people, military service members who have accomplished the most difficult tasks both in Russia and abroad, and civilian professionals who have shown resilience and courage in performing their professional duties.





Each of you, friends, knows – one who performs a heroic deed never thinks about recognition or awards at that moment. At the difficult, decisive moment, you do what your conscience and sense of duty – your military and human duty – tell you and show exceptional personal courage saving people or serving the Fatherland. Such selfless acts are always appreciated by the state.





We in Russia honour our heroes and remember those who have fulfilled their duty, including at the cost of their own lives. May their memory live on forever.





Friends, we have recently marked the 250th anniversary of the Order of St George. It is the highest military award of the Russian Empire and of modern Russia. And here, in St George Hall, where the spirit of devotion to the Fatherland reigns, we deeply feel the continuity of our country’s history. We take pride and strength in this continuity of our traditions of courage and patriotism.





Friends, from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely wish you all the best on the occasion of Heroes of the Fatherland Day. I wish you all the best and offer a toast – to our heroes, to our Fatherland, to Russia!




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62294
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 18th, 2019 #33
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Meeting with Constitutional Court judges



Vladimir Putin had a traditional meeting with Constitutional Court judges timed for Constitution Day, marked on December 12.



December 12, 2019 - 15:30 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region







The President greeted the judges on the national holiday, noting that the standard of new legislation depended on a deep understanding of the Fundamental Law and its principles. He said that in this regard, it was impossible to overstate the role played by the Constitutional Court, which is responsible for supervising the activities of the lawmakers.

The meeting was attended by Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Zorkin, friends, colleagues,

Welcome to our traditional meeting and greetings on Constitution Day.

From the outset, I would like to emphasise that throughout its existence the Constitutional Court has been consistent and relevant, acting as a reliable custodian of constitutional order. This role is essential for consolidating our country’s sovereignty, promoting economic development, protecting the rights and freedoms of our citizens and ensuring social and political stability.

You are well aware of the all-encompassing and concise nature of the Constitution in terms of its purpose, values and meaning. You also understand that there is plenty of potential for developing these norms through consistent legislative efforts.

The quality of the laws that are being adopted and, accordingly, the quality of life in the country, social development and governance are all underpinned by a thorough and intrinsic understanding of the Constitution, its principles and values.

In this context, the role of the Constitutional Court, which is in charge of overseeing legislative activity, can be hardly underestimated. Its rulings cover all social interactions without exception, and your opinions are taken into consideration when drafting laws and enforcing them.

I would like to place special emphasis on the fact that when we get together with our colleagues from the Government in order to come up with solutions for various issues, there is always an opponent, since we always have open and meaningful debates – this is how solutions come about – who refers to the position of the Constitutional Court on a specific matter to back his or her claims. This happens all the time during our work.

Today’s agenda is focused on getting rid of excessive regulations that are hindering economic activity. The Constitutional Court has issued a number of rulings, including in 2019, regarding norms containing restrictions of this kind, where it provided its interpretation in terms of constitutional law or declared them unconstitutional.





One of the main functions of the Constitutional Court is the interpretation of the Constitution. It may seem that this rather short text should have been analysed very well over the past 26 years. We have read it, we understand it, and everyone seems to know how the norms of the Fundamental Law should be applied.

However, the interpretation of its individual provisions and the document as a whole is a never-ending process. Especially when life itself demands ever-new interpretations of the Constitution.

Digitalisation is an important subject and something that calls for a new legal framework. A new interpretation of constitutional provisions will pave the way to new legislation in a sector that is only taking shape and where we have to break new ground.

First of all, we need to find a balance between the tasks of technological progress and the goal of protecting human rights and freedoms.

I would like to repeat once again that the Constitutional Court has done and is doing a great deal towards the protection of people’s rights and legitimate interests. The problem is that interpretations of some constitutional provisions may differ due to their abstract nature. Besides, people have different, sometimes widely different views on the common good and justice. Therefore, any law is almost always a compromise of interests.

At the same time, it is vitally important for lawmakers never to deviate from the universal standards in the field of human rights and freedoms.

I am talking about standards here, not the rights themselves. Regrettably, their declaration in the Fundamental Law does not ensure the practice of compliance with them. We need clear and well-oiled mechanisms to minimise the probability of neglect, let alone violation of human rights.





With every passing year, our Constitution is becoming an increasingly integral document. Its norms complement each other, acquiring new qualities and even new principles, which stem from the essence even though they are not formalised in the Constitution.

In the first few years after its adoption, any reference to the spirit of the Constitution was seen as nothing more than polite rhetoric.

But today the spirit of the Constitution has become as weighty and binding as its letter, that is, constitutional norms. The Constitutional Court undoubtedly had a big role to play in this.

Thank you very much. Congratulations on Constitution Day.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62309






Meeting with permanent members of Security Council



Vladimir Putin held a briefing session with permanent members of the Security Council. The meeting began with a minute of silence in honour of former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov.



December 12, 2019 - 20:45 - Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region



The President briefed the participants on the Normandy formant summit in Paris and on bilateral meetings with President of France Emmanuel Macron, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Minister of the Interior Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues,

Today, we bid a final farewell to former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov. As you know, he was known as an ‘experienced manager,’ and that is what he was, and not just that, he was a brilliant man and a Russian politician on a national scale.

He did a lot for the development of Russia’s capital city during the country’s most troubled times. He was obviously a person of his time and his era, which he created together with other participants in this complicated process.

I ask the Moscow Mayor’s office and the Government of the Russian Federation to submit proposals on eternalising the memory of Yury Luzhkov.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62314






Visit to KAMAZ Corporation



Vladimir Putin toured the engine plant and the truck frame plant at KAMAZ Corporation.



December 13, 2019 - 17:30 - Naberezhnye Chelny







The KAMAZ Corporation’s engine plant is one of the largest Russian engine and powertrain plants. It was established in December 1975 and today includes the main plant building and two thermogalvanic blocks. The plant’s capability is 60,000 engines and power units a year.














The plant began production of R6 engines in July of this year. KAMAZ Director General Sergei Kogogin told Vladimir Putin about the high level of local content in the new R6 engine. Only 17 percent of its parts are imported; 30 percent are produced at KAMAZ, and the other 53 percent at other Russian companies. During the tour of its new assembly lines, Vladimir Putin was shown how the computer quality control system works.

















The President also saw the truck frame plant at KAMAZ. The frame plant is a joint venture between KAMAZ and Daimler and was opened in May 2019. Daimler KAMAZ Rus produces over 30 models of Mercedes-Benz and Fuso trucks at the industrial site in Naberezhnye Chelny. The project was launched in May 2016.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62323






Meeting with KAMAZ engine plant workers



Vladimir Putin had a conversation with engine plant workers during his visit to KAMAZ automobile concern.



December 13, 2019 - 17:50 - Naberezhnye Chelny







The conversation focused on the company’s performance, the city’s problems, in particular, demographic problems with young people leaving home to study and never coming back, which means there should be an opportunity to receive a good higher education in the city and social infrastructure needs to be developed, especially for young people. The President gave detailed answers to the questions asked by the plant’s workers.




















At the conclusion of the meeting, Vladimir Putin said that the country can take pride in such a workforce and such enterprises and thanked them for a significant, major contribution to the entire country’s development. “You really make our country stronger with your hands and your talents. These are not empty words or chatting. While walking through the shops one gets an immediate impression that we live in a self-sustaining country that has a future. It is great,” the President stressed.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62325






A meeting on the occasion of KAMAZ 50th anniversary



Vladimir Putin spoke at a special meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of the KAMAZ automobile plant.



December 13, 2019 - 18:15 - Naberezhnye Chelny



Construction of the Kama automobile plant began in 1969: on December 13 the first bucket of soil was excavated at the production site of the future automobile giant. The first five KAMAZ-5320 trucks rolled off the assembly line on February 16, 1976.

Today, KAMAZ is a major automaker in Russia and a world leader in truck production. The industrial group consists of 109 companies located in Russia, the CIS and other foreign countries and covers the entire production cycle from product design to marketing and service.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends. Hello,

Today is a great day, a jubilee – KAMAZ is 50 years old. Congratulations!

And of course, I think this was already mentioned, but there is no harm in repeating it: we bow to those who laid the foundation for this enterprise and put their heart into it. I mean the workers, builders, engineers and scientists, who launched this outstanding and exciting project in 1969. People came here from all over the Soviet Union; they formed a unique workforce in terms of composition.

Of course all of you love your native city, your Republic of Tatarstan and your heart and soul are with our greater common Homeland, Russia. People of various ethnic origins, religions and different ages have worked and are working here today. We have a good mix here – very energetic and forward-thinking. Wonderful young people. We have just visited the production shops – people are thinking about the future. And what cutting-edge, remarkable products you make, great machines!

Naturally, we are proud of our brand in this country, but KAMAZ has become an international brand too, partly due to your and our rally drivers who achieve impressive results every year and never spare themselves at these prestigious international competitions. Let’s congratulate them on their victories once again.

I want to thank you all again for your work. All of us, the entire country is proud of your achievements. My congratulations on the 50th anniversary of KAMAZ. Good luck!




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62322






Meeting of Commission for Military Technical Cooperation with Foreign States



Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Commission for Military Technical Cooperation with Foreign States held to discuss its performance in the outgoing year and plans for military technical cooperation with the key partners.



December 16, 2019 - 13:45 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

We have gathered today for a regular meeting of the Commission for Military Technical Cooperation with Foreign States. Today we will be discussing relations with our key partners in this sphere, as well as measures for the further development of military technical cooperation.

It should be said that our exports of weapons and military equipment have grown to a total of $13 billion this year. This is more than $2 billion more than in the same period last year. Russia’s position on the global arms market is strengthening despite the increased sanctions pressure and unfair competition.





International trade fairs contribute to promoting our exports. During this year, Russia was the venue of seven such events, including the Army-2019 International Military-Technical Forum, the International Maritime Defence Show in St Petersburg and the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019 held at Zhukovsky.

Our foreign partners could go and look at the latest achievements of our defence industry, including the latest fifth-generation Su-57 fighter plane, the Mi-38T helicopter with enhanced lifting power, the fourth-generation Viking medium range missile system, and the Tigr armoured vehicle, among others. The contracts signed following these trade fairs are estimated at around 35 billion rubles.

The overall portfolio of contracts has been stable at more than $50 billion. A high demand for Russian defence products is a major impetus for improving the forms and methods of our work to maintain our leading positions in this high-tech sector.

We should analyse the situation on regional markets constantly, in real time, noting the buyers’ changing requirements and meeting their growing demand.





The goals of the state policy in the field of military technical cooperation and the main spheres of our activities have been formalised in the military technical cooperation strategy approved in October. I would like to ask the Government to adopt a roadmap on its implementation.

You should focus primarily on the CSTO and CIS member states and our other traditional partners, including those in Africa. They account for over one-third of Russian military exports.

I would like to say a few words about the recent Russian-African Summit in this context. It has reaffirmed that reliable and responsible military technical cooperation is a priority in our relations with our African partners.

Based on the results of the summit, I would like to ask you to analyse the numerous proposals we have received for military technical cooperation, paying attention to their commercial value and applying flexible delivery and payment methods.





In addition, timely maintenance and good repairs are among the key parameters of the competitiveness of military products. We never stop talking about this.

We should stay close to the client and redouble efforts to increase the number of maintenance service centres in the clients’ countries. But we must also consider a new field – the establishment of joint ventures to produce spares for our equipment abroad.

It is an extremely important sphere, which calls for expanding the rights of parties to military technical cooperation and amending the legal framework correspondingly.

Let us talk about all this today. Please, proceed.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62334
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 21st, 2019 #34
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference - PART I



The news conference was broadcast live by Rossiya-1, Rossiya-24, Channel One, NTV television channels, as well as radio stations Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii.



December 19, 2019 - 16:20 - Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon,

We are holding our traditional end-of-year meeting to summarise the year’s results, to see what we have achieved and what we could not achieve and why.

I will refrain from lengthy opening remarks. As I see, there are many people who would like to ask their questions, and during today’s discussion, today’s meeting, I will try to use these questions to talk more about what is happening in our country and how.

Thank you for your keen interest in such meetings. Let us begin.

Please.



Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov:

Thank you, Mr President.

Traditionally we give priority to the ‘veterans’ of the Kremlin pool of journalists, who have covered the President’s work for many years. I will continue this tradition.

Valery Sanfirov, Mayak. Please, pass the microphone.



Valery Sanfirov:

Hello, Mr President. Valery Sanfirov, Mayak radio station.

Initially, I had a different question, but I changed my mind when I heard today’s weather forecast: there will be no snow until the end of December. And I wondered where you would tape your New Year address to the nation.

My question is not about the New Year tree but about climate change. Everyone is talking about it, but it looks as if nobody knows what to do about it. What are the risks? How can climate change damage Russia?

One more thing: Russia has joined the Paris Agreement this year, if I am not mistaken (the Government has adopted a resolution to this effect). Under the agreement, Russia must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25–30 percent by 2030.

However, you said at the recent VTB Russia Calling! forum that we would reduce the emissions by as much as 60 percent by that deadline. I wonder if you have made your first mistake or if you have something special in mind.

Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

You have trapped me, you really have.

Indeed, Russia has joined the Paris Agreement. In fact, we announced our intention to do this much earlier, but this year we have formalised our decision by adopting a Government resolution. It does mention the reduction of 25–30 percent compared to the base year 1990. This is what all countries, including EU member states, do, they compare their reductions to 1990 or use it as the base year.

But if… How can I get out of your trap? If we take [the base figure] as 100 percent and subtract 30 percent from it, the remaining figure will be 70 percent, and bearing in mind the absorption capacity of our forests, the ultimate figure will be 60 percent of the base figure. Let us assume that this is what I had in mind. This is my first argument.

Second, Russia is not the world’s largest polluter. The biggest polluter according to the UN – many other organisations made such calculations, but according to the UN, the biggest polluters are the United States and China (16 percent of emissions each), the EU (11 percent), Russia (6 percent) and India (5 percent).

As you know, the Paris Agreement pursues efforts to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 percent. I do not know whether we will be able to achieve this together or not, because nobody really knows the causes of climate change, at least global climate change.

We know that in the history of the Earth there have been periods of warming and cooling, and this might depend on the global processes in the Universe. A small tilt of the Earth’s axis and its orbit around the Sun can lead to and have already led to very serious climate changes on the Earth, which had dramatic consequences – good or bad, they were still dramatic.

And it is happening again now. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to work out exactly how humankind affects climate change. But we cannot stay idle either, I agree with my colleagues. We should make our best efforts to prevent dramatic changes in the climate.

As for our country, this process is very crucial for us. The temperature in Russia is rising 2.5 times faster than the planet’s average. As you know, Russia is a northern country, and 70 percent of our territory is located in the north latitudes. Some of our cities were built north of the Arctic Circle, on the permafrost. If it begins to thaw, you can imagine what consequences it would have. It would be a disaster.

In addition, it is getting warmer in some places, for instance, here in Moscow we are now setting temperature records, but this might lead to desertification in certain areas, and we will be directly affected by it.

Climate change also means an increase in the number of various natural disasters such as wildfires, floods and so on. This also concerns us. Therefore, we are continuing to be proactive in our efforts to minimise the impact of these changes.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let us continue. The regions. “Kamchatka has not asked a question for 15 years.” Okay, I see you.

Kamchatka.



Anastasia Ostrovskaya:

Good afternoon, Mr President, Mr Peskov, colleagues,

It is true, Kamchatka has not been given the floor for over ten years. As you know, the residents of Kamchatka have to buy a plane ticket to get to the mainland. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford it. Yes, there is a wonderful flat fare programme by Aeroflot, a presidential programme to subsidise tickets for young people, pensioners and large families. But these tickets are snapped up in an instant. Not everyone can buy them. And Aeroflot said recently that it will probably abandon the flat fare tickets. It will mean that many Kamchatka residents will be trapped in their peninsula.

How do you think this problem could be solved?

And another short sub-question. Mr President, it has been a long time since you paid an official visit to Kamchatka. Is that because the tickets are too expensive?



Vladimir Putin:

No, it is not because tickets to Kamchatka are too expensive, I belong to one of the groups you mentioned, you see. (Laughter in the audience.) But no, the reason is that it just hasn’t worked out so far.

There are many pressing issues in the region. But my trips are not called official visits. I make official visits to foreign countries. To Kamchatka, it is a working trip. It does not mean that Government or I simply forget about the region. We are constantly working with it. It is a very important region in terms of the economy, social sphere and defence, because as you know, it hosts one of the bases of our strategic subsurface launch platforms. Therefore, we are always paying attention to Kamchatka.

As for the tickets, no one is going to take away the flat air fares. Aeroflot is simply exaggerating, trying to squeeze money from the Government for these flights. We will keep these programmes in place. Moreover, this programme is being expanded to other regions, beyond the Far East. We will keep doing this too.

But in general, what should we aim for? We need to see the growth of people’s incomes, which – we will talk about this later – are growing very slowly, and also to reduce carriage costs. This is how we should also reduce railway ticket prices. But these programmes will stay in place as long as there are no radical changes in the situation.

I assure you, Aeroflot itself has some reserves. We discuss this matter with the Transport Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister who supervises this area, and the Aeroflot management.





Viktor Smirnov:

Rubbish from St Petersburg is swamping the Leningrad Region.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let’s … act as we have agreed.



Vladimir Putin:

We will talk about St Petersburg, rubbish and other burning problems …



Dmitry Peskov:

If we start shouting now… You do not respect all the others.



Vladimir Putin:

Here is what we will do. I will answer your question by way of exception. Agreed? But please, do not do this again or else we will have an Oriental bazaar and no dialogue.

Let us talk about rubbish.





Viktor Smirnov:

Viktor Smirnov, 47news. We write about the Leningrad Region.

As you know, the so-called rubbish reform has been launched in Russia, in all regions except Moscow, Sevastopol and St Petersburg, which have been given a respite until 2022. That is, they will be able to start when they are ready.

Speaking about St Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Region, the reform has begun in the region, and now rubbish from St Petersburg is being moved to the region. The regional authorities are working on it, but their work has not been coordinated. St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region depend on each other in this regard; logistics has been disrupted, and it is unclear which vehicles go there.

People in the region wonder why rubbish heaps, clearly brought from the city, are growing near their houses, and why so many vehicles are doing this stealthily. It all seems legal – on the outside. Can the city authorities be encouraged legislatively to hurry up?



Vladimir Putin:

This can be done, but this is not the problem. What we need to do is talk directly with the people. People must know what rubbish is brought in and from where, on what grounds and what will happen to it next. Just look at it, we…

Sit down, please.



Viktor Smirnov:

I have a request.



Vladimir Putin:

A request? I have not answered your question yet, but yes, go ahead with your request.



Viktor Smirnov:

Thank you. Can I ask for a 10-minute interview afterwards, while you walk to your car?





Vladimir Putin:

This is possible. But you have not listened to my answer. It is too soon to thank me. As for an interview after the news conference, will it be this year or next year? We have not decided this yet, but yes, this is possible, in principle.

Getting back to rubbish, it is public knowledge that we produce 70 million tonnes of household waste a year. Seventy million! Can you imagine that? Incredible.

The Soviet Union and Russia did not have a rubbish recycling industry. We are creating it from scratch. The basic decisions have been made, overall: we have created a federal operator and over 200 regional operators, as well as a territorial planning scheme with regard to rubbish.

What is really lacking, as I see it, is direct communication with the people. We must tell them what we plan to do and how we will do it, where the recycling plants will be built and where rubbish will be stored until they are built.

Of course, we should completely get rid of all grey schemes and crime. Simple order should be restored. I will take advantage of your question – people are certainly outraged at a tariff increase. There was never a separate tariff for household waste, but now it appeared and immediately grew many times. This should be explained.

In order to explain these figures, it should be transparent and clear who pays and what for. In rural areas, the waste removal tariff grew many times, but in fact, waste was never removed there, it was just thrown away in a neighbouring forest. But this is also a violation.

Then, rubbish needs to be taken somewhere – and this also requires payment. It should be transparent, so that people understand what they are paying for – this is the main problem, I think.

By the way, there may be a similar situation in Leningrad and in the Leningrad Region. Why is waste transported from St Petersburg to the Leningrad Region? Well, okay, let us remove it somewhere closer to the Arctic Ocean, and then the tariff will increase once again by 10 times.

After all, the Leningrad Region and the city of St Petersburg, former Leningrad, are a single economic region. During the Soviet era, it was managed, in fact, by one body – by the Communist Party’s regional committee.

Now that we have such a separation, this single area but at the same time two Russian regions certainly have slightly different interests. But so that people…

By the way, many people from the Leningrad Region, as well as from the Moscow Region, work in St Petersburg, and they generate this waste there, in St Petersburg. This is the point, and then it is removed to where they live, basically. The whole process should be transparent, and it seems to me that the situation can and must change.

But, among other things, we need to develop the industry in terms of building the facilities. They are already under construction. The number of waste processing plants should be increased. And we must explain to the people what kind of facilities they are, how they will work, what the damage will be and whether there will be damage to the environment and whether they will create any problems for the people who will live next to these facilities.

Indeed, in cities around the world, for example, in Tokyo, waste processing plants are located directly in the city. But they do not emit smoke, they do not stink, excuse my language, they do not affect people’s lives or destroy the environment. If we use the latest technology, and this is exactly what we are going to do, then no problems will arise.

But we should do everything as agreed, and this requires public control and public organisations. I have already spoken with the leadership of the Russian Popular Front and I ask them once again to pay special attention to this issue. If we address this problem all together, we will resolve it.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let us continue. I see a journalist from TV Centre. I recall we sort of neglected this channel in the past years. Please, take the floor.



Matvei Shestakov:

Hello. I am Matvei Shestakov from TV Centre TV company.

The media often make the accusation that the real sector of the economy is currently based exclusively on the achievements of the Soviet era: plants and major roads were built in Soviet times, and the deposits were developed in the Soviet period. What is your response to these critics and what has been done in the past ten years? What roads, plants, maybe airports have been built? I know there is a relevant programme. Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

Criticism is not always a bad thing; it makes us contemplate the issue in question.

As for the opinion that we are using Soviet achievements, we cannot neglect the legacy of the thousand-year-old Russian state, including its Soviet period. This is obvious. In the Soviet times, many things were done which we can be proud of and are proud of: Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the breakthrough in space exploration, and much more. We should be thankful to our ancestors, our fathers and grandfathers, who created such a huge and powerful state during the Soviet period.

As for today, I want to say just a few words to those who believe that nothing has changed.

First, 75 percent of the production capacity in the processing industry has been created since 2000. The average age of machinery and equipment in the processing industry is 12 years. Do you see what this means? It shows what has been done in recent decades.

But it is much more than that. You mentioned airports. Three new airports and 45 runways have been built. Speaking of transport in general, there are 12 new railway stations; dozens of railway stations have undergone modernisation, in-depth modernisation. The number of federal motorways has been doubled. Doubled! I believe there were some 39,000 kilometres of roads [percent – ed. note], and now there are more than 80,000 kilometres.

Agriculture is, of course, an excellent example. As you know, and there are many people from the older generation here who remember this well, the Soviet Union always was a purchaser of grain. We were among the largest importers of grain, wheat. Let me remind you that today Russia is the largest exporter of wheat to the global market. We are number one. We are ahead of both the United States and Canada.

They have bigger production, but they consume more, and we produce so much that we hold the first place in the wheat export to the international market. The agricultural growth is 46 percent.

Our exports have multiplied (I think they grew 2.6-fold). We sold $24 billion worth of agricultural products, including not just grain, which is the main source of foreign income in agriculture, but also livestock production, including poultry, pork and so on.

In total, all the ports of the Soviet Union transhipped (there were transhipping capacities) 600 million tonnes per year. Do you know how much Russia does now? 1.1 billion. All of this has been created over the recent decades.

Now to the mineral assets you have mentioned. There are about 600 new deposits, including 57 we plan to open this year. About 600 new deposits. And we can say the same for almost every industry. I am not even talking about such modern industries as nuclear energy, with eight blocks launched recently. I think there were 16 over the entire Soviet era. By the way, this gives us a big advantage in fighting climate change, because thanks to this, as well as hydropower and gas, we have the greenest energy structure in the world.

There are brand new spheres of energy as well, such as liquefied natural gas. Entire international-class complexes have been established, both in the Far East and the Arctic. A generation breakthrough has taken place in hydropower, a real breakthrough.

This is why those who believe we only use the old resources and capacities we inherited from the previous generations are mistaken.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let's move to that side of the aisle. Interregional media, URA.RU. Give them a microphone, please.



Anton Olshannikov:

URA.RU news agency. Mr President, my name is Anton Olshannikov.

I have a question about negative developments in medicine, as they are still relevant. The fact is that it may take up to a month to get a doctor’s appointment in the regions, and doctors’ salaries can be so low that doctors are quitting en masse. However, a head doctor may be paid hundreds of thousands of rubles a month, whereas, for example, a surgeon, gets about 50,000, if that.

You have held several meetings on primary care and healthcare in general this year. You said that the reforms should be carried out quickly and be meaningful. In this regard, I want to understand why the system remains at a standstill. The fact is that the reform is cosmetic, and there are no ground-breaking solutions that could make a difference. You got personally involved in dealing with this issue. I want to understand why. Perhaps, you think the country needs a different healthcare management model? Or does the state need to find resources to support what is available?



Vladimir Putin:

First, it is best to let the model just be. It is evolving at a satisfactory pace, but there certainly are problems.

You mentioned one of them, salaries, but healthcare employees’ salaries are even higher than the salaries in other social spheres. Overall, the numbers outlined in the 2012 executive orders correspond to the planned salary benchmarks. Frankly, I cannot disagree with you, as these are average numbers as well.

You have just said that while head doctors may be earning high wages, rank-and-file doctors, even surgeons, are paid much less. This is one of those problems that we need to tackle. As far as pay levels are concerned, we need to look at the specific sector. After all, what are the approaches to getting things moving? There is no secret about it, and these solutions are quite simple. The first one is to simply increase Compulsory Health Insurance tariffs or change the way the tariffs are distributed within this system. Let me emphasise however that there is little that can be changed in terms of redistributing tariffs within the Compulsory Health Insurance system, since 70 percent of them already go towards salaries. If we change anything, there will be no money left for buying medicine or equipment.

What is the other option then? It consists of simply increasing the Compulsory Health Insurance tariffs. Can this be done? Yes, it can. However, at the end of the day it will be a burden for the entire economy, since all operators within it must pay for it, which will drive up prices and cause an overall increase in the rate of inflation. In such circumstances, any increase in salaries would be eaten up by inflation. So probably this is not the best option either.

But what can be done? Is there anything that can be done within the existing system? Of course, there is. Just look. First, as you have just said, a head doctor may have a big salary, much higher than ordinary doctors. The first thing that should be done is to eliminate this unfair differentiation. This is my first point.

There is no doubt that the base salary rate must be changed. In the regions, it is currently in the range of 35 to 50 percent. We need to have a single national approach to paying out incentives, so that people earn a specific amount for the number of patients they receive, for the number of patients they visit at home, etc. At the same time, there should be no question of cutting bonuses that are given for special working conditions, such as working holidays, working at night, and so on. I believe that even just putting this right would produce a positive effect.

Of course, this will not be enough. Salaries in the social services sector must grow alongside the economy, especially and even primarily in the healthcare industry. I do agree with that.





Dmitry Peskov:

Thank you. Let us proceed.

Let us talk about sports, Match TV, if this is what you want to ask.



Olga Bogoslovskaya:

Good afternoon, Mr President. Olga Bogoslovskaya, Match TV. I am from a sports channel, and so my question will be about sports, or more precisely, the difficult situation with Russian sports.

On December 9, the WADA Executive Committee adopted an unprecedentedly harsh decision to ban Russian athletes from participating in all major sports events, which include the summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic games.

The reason for that decision was the discrepancy between the data provided by the Moscow laboratory and the data provided by WADA informers. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency’s rights have been curtailed.

However, the sanctions have hit the innocent athletes especially hard. This brings me to my question: What should Russian athletes do in this situation, and how can Russian sports develop in this difficult situation?



Vladimir Putin:

I will answer your question, but first I would like to say that I noticed that I did not answer the previous question in full.

I would like to say a few more words about the measures we plan to take in the field of primary medical care. We have agreed, after all, to increase healthcare allocations, in addition to what has been stipulated under the Healthcare project, by 550 billion rubles.

These funds will be used first of all to improve physical assets and to buy equipment and vehicles. We plan to improve or built 10,000 medical facilities and buy 37,000 vehicles and approximately 10,000 pieces of medical equipment. In this context, I hope that we will be able to implement all our plans very soon and that people will feel the change.

The second component, which is mostly stipulated under national projects, includes allocations to primary care, but the bulk of funds will be invested in fighting cancer. I hope we will see a positive result in this sphere as well.

We can report achievements in the field of cardiovascular diseases, where the figure is some 0.6 percent. The situation with tuberculosis has improved by 12 percent, and child mortality has decreased considerably. We must continue working in the same manner in all of these spheres.

As for WADA and its decisions, I believe that they are not only unjust, but also defy common sense and are illegal. Why? Because as far as doping is concerned, decisions have already been taken against Russian athletes who had to compete in a neutral status at the previous Olympics. Now it is happening all over again. There has never been anything of this kind in any of the world’s legal systems or in human history, and I hope nothing of this kind ever happens again. This is my first point.

Second, any sanctions must target specific, individual breaches. If someone was caught doing something illegal, sanctions are natural and fair. But if an overwhelming majority of Russian athletes are clean, how can they be sanctioned for someone else’s actions?

We have very young female athletes competing in figure skating, they are practically little girls. What do they have to do with doping? Nothing whatsoever. But they can do quadruple jumps, which so far no one can, or almost no one can do in women’s figure skating. This is how they make sure that these girls are kept off the ice. Can this be done? Yes, it can. But what for? Will this help international sports in any way? I do not think so.

Among other things, as I already said at the news conference in Paris, this decision by WADA runs counter to the Olympic Charter. A national team cannot and should not compete under a neutral flag when there are no claims against its Olympic Committee. This is what the Charter says. If WADA does not have any claims against the Russian Olympic Committee at this time, this means that the national team can compete under the Russian flag. Go after specific people, and of course we will be there to assist you in these efforts. We are doing everything to make our sport clean.

By the way, RUSADA was created in close contact with our WADA colleagues. We even selected its executive team based on their recommendations. I think that everything I said suggests that this decision was politically tainted, as sad as it sounds.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let’s go to the middle [sector], to the federal media. I can see Channel One, pass on the microphone, please.





Konstantin Panyushkin:

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr President. Konstantin Panyushkin, Channel One.

First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of the Channel One journalists and perhaps many others for what you said at the news conference in Paris. After the news conference – we did a little eavesdropping when you were talking with Chancellor Merkel and President Macron, explaining, as far as we understood, problems concerning journalists’ work in Ukraine. Perhaps one day, thanks to the work in the Normandy Format, we will be able to work there confidently and calmly like Ukrainian journalists work in Russia, who, by the way, should also be here today.

So I have a question about Ukraine. After Paris, after everything your summit partners have said in the two weeks since then, and I mean Ukraine above all, do you think there is any point holding another meeting in four months, as you agreed? And what do you think are the Normandy Format’s prospects in general?

Also, do you think the Minsk Agreements and the Steinmeier Formula will survive the next four months or survive at all in the future? What do you think is the best-case scenario for the future of Donbass?

In addition, journalists were looking forward to your meeting with Zelensky and Russian-Ukrainian talks. What are the current prospects of a settlement in Russian-Ukrainian relations? Are there any problems or breakthroughs due to the change of administration?

And the last question, if I may. President Zelensky talked about you right there, in Paris. What do you think about President Vladimir Zelensky? Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Let’s begin with the last one. I always try to avoid such questions. I do not believe it is correct for me to answer them and to state my opinion of my colleagues. Perhaps you have noted that I don’t even describe former leaders who left their offices.

Let’s discuss historical figures. We can do this. I do not have the heart to talk about people who are in office today. Everybody has both positive and negative sides. But when people take such offices, this means they have passed through a serious selection process, so they are at least not ordinary people.

As for the Normandy format, the Minsk Agreements and so on, there is nothing more important than the Minsk Agreements. Of course, I was worried by the statement made by President Zelensky after he left Paris to the effect that they could be revised. If we revise the Minsk Agreements, the settlement process will hit a dead end, because the main element of the Minsk Agreements is a law on the special status of Donbass, which must be formalised in the Ukrainian Constitution. It has been extended for a year, but not permanently, although we keep saying – not only do I, but the other Normandy format leaders say so as well – that the law must be of unlimited duration and that its formula must be incorporated in the Constitution. However, it appears that neither the previous nor the current Ukrainian leadership wants this. But there is no way around it. This is the first point.

Second, there must be a direct dialogue with Donbass. There is none so far. It has been announced that amendments concerning decentralisation will be made. This is good. But is this meant to replace the Minsk Agreements? Or the law on the special status of Donbass? Can you imagine that? Yes. But the Minsk Agreements say that any actions that concern Donbass must be coordinated with Donbass. This initiative has not been coordinated with it. This, of course, is alarming.

As for the next meeting, for example, in April, it will only be relevant if we see positive change. Has there been any positive change? Yes, it is an objective fact. First, the law on the special status has been extended, and hence the basis for a settlement has not been destroyed. Second, troops have pulled back in several vital areas, although our Ukrainian partners are against disengagement along the entire contact line. I believe that they are making a mistake, but this is their position. That was my second point.

The number of artillery attacks has decreased, which is another achievement, although regrettably, they have not stopped altogether. There are positive things and there are alarming things. All this should be discussed. Overall, it is desirable to continue meetings in the Normandy format.

By the way, you mentioned our Ukrainian colleagues. Shall we give them the floor? Are any of them with us today?



Dmitry Peskov:

Please let our traditional guest have the microphone.



Roman Tsymbalyuk:

Good afternoon, my name is Roman Tsymbalyuk, and I represent the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency.



Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon.





Roman Tsymbalyuk:

Indeed, we, and I personally, have no problem doing our work in Russia. Perhaps, if the Ukrainian tanks were in Kuban, you would have slightly different thoughts about us.



Vladimir Putin:

Are you talking about the 72 or the 34 model? (Laughter.)



Roman Tsymbalyuk:

T-64 is our staple combat tank made in Kharkov.



Vladimir Putin:

T-64 is a Soviet tank as well.



Roman Tsymbalyuk:

You also mentioned you are originally from the Soviet Union.



Vladimir Putin:

Okay.





Roman Tsymbalyuk:

As a follow-up to the Minsk talks, could you give the date of your decision to disband the occupation administrations in Lugansk and Donetsk? You refer to them as republics, but they are not mentioned in the Minsk Agreements.

Also, if I may, will there be a gas war? It appears that you are not about to give us back the $3 billion awarded to us by the arbitration court. You are talking about cheap gas, but we know that Russia’s cheap gas is the most expensive thing for Ukraine.

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

So, disbanding administrative bodies and gas. What else?



Roman Tsymbalyuk:

Three billion.



Vladimir Putin:

Three billion.

Here is my first point regarding the Minsk Agreements and disbanding, as you said, administrative bodies in the unrecognised republics.

Former president Petro Poroshenko who represented Ukraine at the Minsk talks, which were followed by the Minsk Agreements, insisted on having this document signed by the leaders of these two unrecognised republics. They just grabbed me by the throat, all three of them, and representatives of these unrecognised republics refused to sign. I am giving you, so to speak, the inside facts about our talks in Minsk. However, we managed to persuade them, and they signed the document. Thus, Ukraine itself recognised the existence of these authorities. This is the first part of the Ballet de la Merlaison, so to say.

The second part is that the elections were held there, and the people cast their votes. This, I believe, is a very democratic way of organising government bodies.

Third, the Minsk Agreements themselves outline explicitly the rights of these republics, and what they are entitled to claim. Everything is spelled out there about the language, the local police, and so on.

The next aspect has to do with what it is all about, and I am getting to the controversial part. I will not hide anything, and there is no need to do it. People in both Russia and Ukraine must know what these agreements are about.

There is a clause about withdrawing mercenaries and foreign troops and closing the border. Under the Minsk Agreements, the process of closing the border is to begin on the second day after an election takes place, and to be completed only after an inclusive political settlement is achieved, including amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution and these republics acquiring the rights as set forth in the Minsk Agreements. As soon as this is done, the border can be completely sealed.

Finally, let me respond to the question about the withdrawal of foreign troops. There are no foreign troops there. Yes, there are local militias, local self-defence forces staffed with local residents. I get questions all the time: Where did they get tanks or heavy artillery? Look, conflicts and hostilities of all kinds are unfolding in many hotspots around the world, involving tanks, artillery, etc. Where do they get them? Probably from those government agencies that sympathise with them. But let me emphasise that these weapons are theirs, not foreign.

As for the mercenaries, I have just said in Paris that there are French and Germans fighting there on both sides. We must address this issue of mercenaries, but they are not the bedrock of these armed groups.

You know what the main problem is? I will be completely honest with you. The most important problem is that there is a lack of willingness to resolve this question through dialogue with the people. We have yet to see any willingness to move in this direction, instead of trying to create favourable conditions for resolving the problem by force using tanks, artillery and air power. I said: air power was used. And the current President of Ukraine replied: What air power? He did not even remember or did not know this. But they did use air power, you see?

As soon as we, or rather the Ukrainian leadership, abandon what I believe to be a completely misguided approach to resolving this problem and move into dialogue mode, this is when there will be a path towards a solution. It is stated in the agreements that they need to restore economic and other infrastructure, but instead they just cut off this part of the country from the Ukrainian territory by imposing a blockade. Was Moscow the one who imposed this blockade? The Kiev authorities were the ones who did it.

However, we are seeing some positive shifts in this sphere, at least I hope we do. As you already know, there are some changes for the better there. At least there are crossing points, and the demining effort is underway. This is not enough. A lot has to be done to improve the lives of the people who live there. But it can be done.

If we proceed from this premise and focus on finding common ground and promoting dialogue, the problem will be resolved. If attempts to strangle them by force continue, I do not think that it can be done. There is a saying that people in Donbass never yield under pressure. It definitely has a ruffian and aggressive side to it, but this is how people feel deep inside. People who live there have a sense of pride, so this problem is unlikely to be resolved by force.

The gas war. You mentioned three billion. Let me point out that part of our reserve money from the Russian National Welfare Fund is invested in Ukrainian bonds: $3 billion, exactly. There is a court ruling from London on this, but it is not fulfilled.

Speaking about gas relations, it is a complicated and sensitive issue. We want to solve this problem. As someone who has a degree in law, I believe that this ruling of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce is not legal but more likely political. Here’s one of the grounds for this ruling (everyone here will find it strange, too, but it is interesting): “…due to the difficult economic situation in Ukraine.” That is nonsense. But it is written there. They should have refrained from writing such a phrase.

Well, we have the court decision, it is true, and we must proceed from this. We will proceed from this and look for a solution that would suit everyone, including Ukraine, while preserving transit through Ukraine, despite the construction of new facilities, such as Nord Stream 1, Nord Stream 2, and TurkStream. The question is what the volume of transit and contract duration will be.

Let me also note that we are not going to sign any contract to stop transit later. No, we are interested in this, we want to do this; it is a good route.

By the way, the Ukrainian route to Europe is longer than via the Baltic Sea. It is longer and more expensive for us. But it is a good and well-known route to Central and Southern Europe, and we are ready to preserve it. We would also be ready to provide Ukraine with a gas discount of 20–25 percent, as I have already mentioned, by the way. It can be done.

This would also mean decreasing costs for the end consumer instead of increasing them as you are planning now. Starting from January 1, 2020, all the discounts will be cancelled, as far as I know, and the average gas price will be $300 for all categories of consumers, including individuals.

I think we will come to an agreement. By the way, we are already making headway. We will try to make Ukraine happy with the agreement, too. We do not want escalations in the energy sector that can be used to affect the situation in Ukraine.

We are interested in Ukraine getting the resource properly, so that our consumers in Europe are calm about us having normal relations with our neighbours and that everything goes as planned.





Dmitry Peskov:

Let us go to that sector. Omsk has the floor. I believe we have not given the floor to Omsk yet. I see a lady standing.



Remark from the audience.



Dmitry Peskov:

I thought we agreed to respect each other. Thank you.

Omsk, go ahead.



Olga Korobova:

Good afternoon. Olga Korobova, editor-in-chief, Argumenty i Fakty v Omske.

Mr President, my question concerns not only Omsk but probably the whole of the Trans-Ural area.



Vladimir Putin:

Can you raise your hand, please? I do not see you. Thank you.



Olga Korobova:

I have a question about demography and migration. It is a question about everything, that is, the social situation in the Trans-Urals.



Vladimir Putin:

If it is a question about everything, it will be the last question today.





Olga Korobova:

First of all, I would like to thank you for launching the Far Eastern Hectare and Far Eastern Mortgage projects. But people are also leaving Siberia for oversized Moscow and St Petersburg. It would be wonderful if such measures, in particular a mortgage project, were adopted for our region as well so that young, smart and talented people aged 30–45 would not leave but take out mortgages.

Has this possibility been discussed for Siberia, the Trans-Urals and, more precisely, Omsk?



Vladimir Putin:

We have indeed adopted several such measures for the Far East, where the population is declining much more rapidly than in any other part or region of Russia.

Many people have taken advantage of the Far Eastern Hectare project. We have adjusted it so that it is available not only to locals but also to people from any other part of Russia who want to settle in the Far East. This land is being used for several purposes: housing, agriculture and other forms of business, including tourism. But we also see some drawbacks to this project, first of all the fact that these land plots are not always attractive because of their infrastructure, or rather, they lack roads, electricity and other infrastructure. Therefore, we must first of all implement these projects and plans in full in the Far East before turning to other regions.

As for the Trans-Urals, I assure you that we see what is happening there. We will revise our demographic projects to include the Trans-Urals. I am referring to assistance for households with children, primarily those that have a third baby.

As for other support measures, including a 2 percent mortgage rate, all this is possible, of course. But first we need to analyse progress in the Far East, calculate how much this will cost us, see how many people request such assistance, and review our budget expenditures before calmly taking any decisions on what to do next.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let’s have a question from the centre.

Andrei Kolesnikov, one of the patriarchs of Russian journalism. As usual, he holds his hand up with great modesty, but he has been working with the President for many years.



Andrei Kolesnikov:

Good afternoon. Andrei Kolesnikov, Kommersant newspaper.

Mr President, I have two questions on the recent meeting of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. You spoke out about Vladimir Ulyanov as never before. You even brought up his nicknames, such as “Old Man” and “Lenin.”





Vladimir Putin:

A pseudonym.



Andrei Kolesnikov:

You said nicknames.



Vladimir Putin:

As a matter of fact, it is all one and the same.



Andrei Kolesnikov:

Party nicknames.

You accused him of breaking down a 1,000-year-old state. When you were saying this, you facial expression was close to rage, it seemed to me. Will anything come out of your comment? What would be a logical follow-up to these words? Removing Lenin’s body from the Mausoleum, at long last?

And the second question. At the same meeting, you had a debate with Alexander Sokurov on the title of the Hero of Russia, regarding Ramzan Kadyrov’s case. At that point your facial expression simply showed tolerance. Would you like to say something in this regard?

Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

I prefer not to raise subjects of this kind, but since Mr Sokurov did, I had to respond, so now it seems that I have to set it out in more detail.

Regarding Lenin and his role in our history, and what I think about it, I believe that he was a revolutionary rather than a statesman.

When I talked about the 1,000-year history of our state, it was strictly centralised and unitary, as we all know. But what did Vladimir Lenin propose? He went even further than a federation and proposed a system that can be described as a confederation. It was his decision to tie ethnic groups to specific territories, so that they obtained the right to secede from the Soviet Union.

What happened was that a strictly centralised state was turned into a de facto confederation with the right of secession and with ethnic groups attached to specific territories. But these territories were divided in such a way that they did not always correspond and still do not correspond to where various ethnic groups traditionally lived. This is how cracks emerged that still linger in the relations between the former Soviet republics, and even within the Russian Federation. There are two thousand cracks of this kind, and letting them out of sight for even a second can have grave consequences. This is the first point I wanted to make.

By the way, Stalin was against such organisation. He even wrote an article on autonomy, but, eventually, adopted Lenin’s formula. The upshot? Just now, our colleague from Ukraine and I spoke about our relations. Back when the Soviet Union was created, original Russian territories that never had anything to do with Ukraine (the entire Black Sea region and Russia’s western lands) were transferred to Ukraine under a strange pretext of “increasing the percentage of the proletariat in Ukraine,” because Ukraine was a rural territory populated by petty-bourgeois-minded peasants, who were subjected to dispossession across the country. This was a somewhat odd decision. Nevertheless, it took place. We are now dealing with Vladimir Lenin’s legacy of state building.

What did they do? They tied the country’s future to their own party, and this tenet went from one Constitution to another. It was the main political force. As soon as the party started to crumble, the country followed. That is what I meant. I stick to this point of view to this day.

As you are aware, I worked in intelligence for a long time. It was an integral part of a much politicised organisation, the KGB, and I had my own ideas about our leaders and so on. But I know better today, and I understand that there are geopolitical considerations in addition to ideology. They were completely ignored during the creation of the Soviet Union. All this was much politicised at the time. To reiterate, the party began to fall apart, and that was the end of it – the country followed. This had to be prevented. This was a mistake. An absolute, cardinal and fundamental mistake in state building.

Now, with regard to the body. This is beside the point. I believe this subject should not be touched at all, at least as long as there are people, lots of them, who associate their lives and destinies, and certain achievements of the past, the Soviet years, with it. One way or another, the Soviet Union is certainly connected with Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the world proletariat. So, why delve deep into that? We just need to move forward and grow. That is all.

As for Kadyrov’s Hero of Russia title, you know I already spoke about it and I want to say it again. When I first met his father, the first President of the Chechen Republic, he came to me himself. He did not come to surrender, he came to build relations with Russia. It was before the active combat operation started in Chechnya and in the Caucasus. And he told me then, “We thought that we would be better off with other Islamic countries, but we realised that we were wrong because they tried to bend us to their will.” All those extremist, half-terrorist groups. He said, “We do not want it. I understand now that we will be better off with Russia. Russia has never had any issues with our religion or our everyday customs.” And so on. It was his choice. You know his fate. He died at the hands of terrorists. What did he die for? For Chechnya, the Chechen people, and for Russia. It was his decision. I still cannot forgive myself for letting him go home for the holidays, because he was in my office and I asked him to stay, but he said that he needed to be at home. And then he was killed in an explosion.

The current president, his son, is still exposed to danger every day. In addition, he personally takes part in various combat operations. The Federal Security Service Director was reporting to me once on the elimination of a terrorist group, and I suggested that his guys should be awarded state decorations. And he said, “It was not us.” I asked him who it was, and he said that it was Kadyrov and his men. I said, “I forbade him to do it!” But he is unstoppable, he is always out there in the field. So I always present such titles as Hero of Russia for a reason.

Look at what Grozny looks like now. Look at the photos taken several years ago featuring Minutka Square: Grozny looked like Stalingrad after the Battle of Stalingrad. Exactly like that. And look how it has changed.

Actually, we could present Kadyrov with the Hero of Labour title as well, but he is still young, he can wait. But the situation has really turned around there. So this is the answer to that part of your question.



Dmitry Peskov:

By the way, I saw a journalist from Chechnya. Would you like to add anything? Central sector. Raise your hand, please, so that we can see you. Please, identify yourself and speak as concisely as possible.



Alkhazur Kerimov:

Good afternoon, Mr President.



Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon.





Alkhazur Kerimov:

Alkhazur Kerimov, Grozny TV.

It was very gratifying to me to hear you speak so warmly about the first president of the Chechen Republic and about our current leader. First of all, I would like to say that the Chechen Republic is developing rapidly in all spheres.

This became possible thanks to your decisions and all-round assistance and help. The people can see this, which is why your confidence rating in the republic is the highest throughout Russia. People in Chechnya love and respect you, and they look forward to your visit. Now, my question.

There has been much talk about building a road to Georgia via Chechnya. This would settle many strategic problems and unclog the alternative route, which is especially busy in winter, when cars stand for days in traffic jams.

The head of Chechnya raised this issue and commented on it many times, because building one more road would help increase trade and boost our economic progress through a rapid development of tourism in the region. What do you think about this initiative? How can it benefit the economies of Russia and Georgia? Do you support it?

One more thing. Some time ago the head of Chechnya proposed building a high-speed railway line from Krasnodar to Grozny and connecting it to the existing Moscow-Adler high-speed road. This would greatly increase the accessibility of the republics involved. What do you think about this project? Can we count on its implementation?



Vladimir Putin:

I would like to say that there are several infrastructure projects for southern Russia, including Chechnya. We are working on them or considering them. Some of them are at a more advanced stage than others. I would not like to go into detail now, but I know about these plans.

We have recently discussed this in the Government; there are several options for connecting Chechnya with Krasnodar and the Black Sea coast. We will do this when the time comes. For now, we do not have any concrete or calibrated plans, but I agree that this is a rational idea.

What was the first part of your question about?



Alkhazur Kerimov:

The road to Georgia.



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, Georgia. Indeed, there are problems with communication with Georgia, especially in winter when there is a lot of snow. We are aware of this. What you mentioned is a good idea, but it is not on the Transport Ministry’s plans at the moment. Although, I repeat, we know about it and it is a viable project. Yes, it would be reasonable to implement it.





Dmitry Peskov:

Let’s move over here. Dimitri Simes. Channel One, I guess?



Dimitri Simes:

Bolshaya Igra, Channel One.



Dmitry Peskov:

Please give him a microphone.



Dimitri Simes:

Mr President, two days ago the US Congress passed bills on sanctions against Russia by such an overwhelming majority that it makes it difficult for President Trump to veto the bill.

And, as you probably know, the House of Representatives passed articles of impeachment yesterday. This is the context in which he has to make foreign policy decisions, and more specifically, those in relation to Russia.

In this situation, do you think you – and Russia – have any opportunity to try to maintain or strengthen dialogue with the United States before the end of Trump’s presidency? What can you do to enhance strategic stability, and more specifically, to extend the New START?





Vladimir Putin:

As for the chances to continue our dialogue until the end of Trump’s presidency, you do sound like it is actually ending. I am not so sure about that. The decision still needs to pass through the Senate, where the Republicans, as far as I know, have the majority, and they are unlikely to want to remove the representative of their party from power for something I, personally, see as far-fetched.

This is just another move in that country’s domestic political campaigning, where one party that lost the election, the Democratic Party, is trying to achieve results they want through other means, such as charging Trump with conspiracy related to Russia. When it turned out there was no conspiracy, there was no longer a sufficient reason to impeach. Now they have invented pressure on Ukraine. I do not know what this is all about. But your Congresspeople certainly know better.

As for the decisions that were made with respect to Russia, they are being made by people who hardly have any responsibility for these decisions. These are not executive authorities, but representative authorities, and their job is to pass laws. They are making such decisions regarding Russia.

This will certainly affect the level of interstate relations. We are aware of their general approach – the United States will work with us in areas where they have an interest and profit, while at the same time restraining Russia with decisions like this. Knowing this, we too will mirror their steps, we will do just that. I am not saying this is a good thing. These are very unfriendly acts in relation to Russia.

They want to help Ukraine keep its transits. As I have just told a colleague from Ukraine, we also want to keep transits. In any case, this is what we are interested in, and this is what we will do. If they wanted to help, they should have given them money. How come they do not give any money to Ukraine? This would have enabled them to provide subsidies.

You see, they give almost nothing, only guarantees for future loans. But this is not actual money, so the support they are getting is not real. At the same time, the IMF, where the United States rules, demands that all energy subsidies be cancelled, including for natural gas. This will once again drive consumer prices up.

Others in the West, I mean, the EU, want round timber to be exported to Europe. If they do so, very soon, there will be nothing left of the Carpathian mountains, with only bare rock remaining. It could seem that they are supporting the current Ukrainian regime and its leaders, but at the same time I believe that they are seriously hurting it.

Now they are asking Ukraine to start selling land. Land is sacred for Ukrainians, and I can understand this, since these are “golden” soils. Of course, the opposition was instantly all over this issue and is now attacking Zelensky on the domestic policy front.

They blame us for some actions towards Ukraine and pretend to be willing to help, but in reality what they want is to have Russia support the Ukrainian budget. Go ahead and give them the money, help Ukraine, grant it subsidised loans with lengthy repayment periods. But there is nothing of the kind.

Still, we are interested in expanding and maintaining relations with the United States and will move in this direction regardless of who is in the White House or who controls the two chambers of Congress.

Do we see any potential in this? I think so. You have mentioned global security, including the New START, as one of the foundations of our relations. We put forward our proposals, as I have already said, and will repeat: we stand ready until the end of the year to extend the existing New START as is.

They can send it to us by post, or we can sign it and send it to Washington so that their senior officials, including the President, sign it, if they are ready to do so. So far we have not received a reply to any of our proposals. Without the New START there will be nothing left in the world to contain the arms race. I believe that there is nothing good about it.



Dmitry Peskov:

MIR TV channel, you have the floor.



Elina Dashkuyeva:

Thank you, Mr Peskov.

Good afternoon, Mr President, I am Elina Dashkuyeva from the MIR Interstate Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.

At the Ashgabat meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council you spoke about the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and you said that this victory concerns every citizen of the Soviet Union. You invited CIS leaders to come here to take part in the commemorative events, and also agreed to hold joint events to mark this date.

Mr President, do you regret that the joint column of the victors will not include servicemen from some former Soviet republics, including Ukraine and Georgia?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

I regret that there is no Soviet Union anymore. As for their participation in the parade, it is their choice. But if someone misses the event due to some interstate relations, I think they will make a big mistake. Because it will mean that they do not show respect for the people who fought and gave their lives for the independence of their Motherland.

There is one thing I would like to draw attention to. Nazi Germany had these documents that said that part of the Slavic people should be used as workers, but the majority should be sent beyond the Urals, to the northern territories. What did they count on? On our extinction. So that fight, it was not just about preserving our statehood, but about preserving the East Slavic ethnic group, both Russians and Ukrainians. This is was it was about.

When I hear someone say that maybe it would have been better to abandon Leningrad to the enemy and so on, I want to say, are you out of your mind? You would not be alive today if they had done that. This is what it is all about. And, of course, the presence at the Moscow parade of the descendants of those who saved our statehood and independence, and who preserved our peoples, is a symbolic and important gesture, I think. We will be happy to see everyone who accepts our invitation.

By the way, Minsk wants to ask a question. Excuse me, Dmitry, I see a ‘Minsk, Belarus’ poster there.

Go ahead, please.





Remark:

Can we ask a question about Iran?



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, in a moment, please.



Maria Nagibina:

Hello, Mr President.

Maria Nagibina, Ministry of Ideas TV channel.

I have a question for you that follows up on the topic of the Soviet Union.

Millions of people suffered from Gorbachev’s illegal actions in 1991. So here is the question: how about looking at what happened in 1991 from a legal perspective? This could make resolving questions regarding territorial integrity, including with Belarus, easier.

I also have a second question. Last year you talked about the Constitution of the Russian Federation and its Article 13, paragraph 2, which bans ideology. You said that this should be a matter of public debate. As we all know, there is a massive drive by community activists across the country to collect signatures, and 200,000 have already been collected and handed over to the Federation Council, State Duma and other government institutions. Do you think that this question was sufficiently debated by Russian society?



Vladimir Putin:

Regarding a legal assessment of what Gorbachev or anyone else did, I do not know. I do not understand how this relates to territorial integrity. We have resolved all the questions we had, and all the documents are signed. I do not quite understand what a legal evaluation of these actions has to do with it. This is my first point.

Second, regarding the Constitution and what it says on ideology, I have already said that the Soviet Constitution had a very pronounced ideological component, and the only ideology that guided it was the ideology of the Communist Party. It is clear however what came out of it, as I have already said. Among other things, it served as one of the triggers that led a unified state to break down. Without a party, it started to crumble, and the country followed.

However, I believe that in today’s democratic society there can be only one ideology: patriotism in a broad, positive sense of the word. It should not be driven by politics, but rather designed to strengthen the inner foundations of the Russian state.





Dmitry Peskov:

Let’s continue. It looks like we left out federal news agencies. I see ITAR-TASS on the right. Please remain seated. Let's show some respect for each other. This is a news conference after all.



Remark:

I have a question about the 75th anniversary of Victory.



Dmitry Peskov:

Sit down, please.



Remark:

All right.



Dmitry Peskov:

Thank you very much.





Veronika Ichetkina:

May I? Thank you.

Mr President, last year the news conference opened with a question from TASS about national projects. My question today is also about national projects, especially since this year our agency became an operator of a special website dedicated to this subject.

Here is my question. National projects have been implemented for almost a year now, and more and more experts from the regions are saying that the national projects’ goals are overly high and need to be revised.

Do you think we can say that national projects are stalling? Do you think the national projects’ goals should be revised? Or maybe it would make sense to develop additional measures to stimulate this work? Such as to establish additional personal responsibility of regional leaders for implementing national projects in terms of goals or deadlines? Or maybe decentralisation can help, such as expanding the powers of regional authorities, or municipal authorities, including redistribution of taxes, so that they have more money in their budgets and use it to more vigorously participate in national projects on the ground?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

First, I believe there is no need to revise anything fundamentally.

Second, personal responsibility has been introduced, but it can certainly be strengthened and detailed.

Third, national projects are, of course, a major undertaking, and we have not had anything like that before, we have not worked with such tools before, they simply did not exist. There were state programmes, but they are different. National projects pursue goals, and specific resources have been allocated to achieve these goals, and personal responsibility has been introduced and is being used. We should continue to move along these lines.

Are they stalling or not? Of course, mechanisms and the legislative framework should have been created from the get-go. I even got anxious at some point thinking about how this would continue to move forward. Look, we consider 26 goals achieved and 12 not achieved out of 38 goals planned for this year. With regard to an important area such as relocating residents from dilapidated housing, we went beyond meeting the target figure for the current year and exceeded it threefold. So, overall, the situation is under control. Of course, we need to look at what is happening in real life, analyse it, and, of course, some things will need to be adjusted. But on the whole, there is no need to revise anything.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let’s continue. Federal agencies now.

I see Interfax. Pass the microphone to Interfax, please.



Ksenia Golovanova:

Good afternoon, Mr President. Ksenia Golovanova, Interfax.

This year abounded in high-profile cases that caused public outcry. Members of the HRC talked to you about some of them at a meeting last week, and you did not comment on one of them, the case of Ivan Golunov.

During the Direct Line, you described this case, this situation with Golunov, as lawlessness and said that those responsible should be found. However, no one responsible has been found, the case file has been classified, and an investigation is underway with regard to unidentified persons.

It seems to me that the Golunov case is a reflection of something that is typical for our law enforcement system; something, everyone has probably dealt with, unfortunately – complete impunity and the we-don’t-betray-our-own principle.

I have two questions in this regard. Don’t you not think that maybe it is time to somehow reshuffle and purge our law enforcement bodies again. And can you guarantee that the Golunov case will eventually lead to a conviction, and will not be soft-pedalled? Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

Earlier today I was thinking how I began my career as a security agent. When I joined, service veterans were still there, and some would hide in their offices when one old man would enter the building.

Who was that person? He served in 1936–1937. What did he do? That was a time of “purges” in law enforcement agencies, including security agencies. One could come to work in the morning, unsuspectingly, not knowing anything, but a criminal case had been initiated against them, and by the evening, their family was given the body just after they were executed. And that old man that everyone ran from was the one who carried out those sentences.

So, as far as “purges” are concerned, we have been through this, it happened in our not-so-distant history, and we had better avoid any further purges here.

The fact that we need to improve the system of law enforcement bodies’ work, to control what is happening there – I also mean public control – is completely obvious. All law enforcement agencies have their own security services, and those are working quite efficiently.

The we-don’t-betray-our-own phrase is just wrong. Because, indeed, probably, there may be cases where the chiefs want to cover up for someone, the immediate superiors, I mean. But, again, their own security services are effective. And a significant number of criminal cases – there are many cases brought against law enforcement officials – are based on the findings of their own security services.

As for the Golunov case (is this the name – Golunov?), indeed, it was decided to classify these materials, because the investigation raises questions related to the organisation of active search measures, and this is restricted information. But this does not mean the investigation is not proceeding as it should. I would like to inform you that five people have been suspended from the relevant services of the Interior Ministry. They have been fired from Interior Ministry bodies, and criminal cases have been initiated against them. The investigation is being conducted by the Investigative Committee, not the Interior Ministry.



Dmitry Peskov:

RIA Novosti, on the right, please, go ahead.



Yelena Glushakova:

Yelena Glushakova, RIA Novosti.

Since you mentioned that you are a lawyer, the first part of my question relates to legal matters, Mr President. My question will be on the Constitution. In your opinion, could it be that the time has come to amend the Constitution? These questions surface every now and then, and have recently been discussed. If the time has come, what part could be changed? Are you satisfied with the amendments that were introduced ten years ago to change some articles in our Constitution?

The second part of my question is about politics, and relates to the political system our country has. Within a few days, it will be 20 years since you came to the helm. Is there a need, in your opinion, to make changes, like maybe reassigning powers between the parliament, the government or even the president?

And my final question, if you allow me. Do we have competition in Russian politics, in your opinion?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Regarding the Constitution, this is a live tool that has to keep up with the evolution of society. However, it is my belief that we do not have to change the Constitution, I mean adopt a new one, especially since it sets forth some fundamental principles that we have yet to fully achieve. This refers to its first chapter. I believe this part to be sacrosanct.

All the other provisions can be amended in one way or another. I am aware of the ongoing debates on this subject; I see them and hear them. I understand the logic behind what others propose. This is related to possibly expanding the powers of parliament and changing to some extent the powers of the president and the government. But all this has to be well prepared, result from a meaningful debate within society, and be carried out with extreme caution.

Regarding the past amendments, as far as I know, they were related to the number of terms. What could be done in this respect? We could take out the mention of “consecutive” terms. We have this provision, and yours truly served for two consecutive terms, then left this office and had the constitutional right to once again become president, because this did not interfere with the “two consecutive terms” limit. Some political observers and civil society activists have voiced misgivings over this provision. We can probably remove it.

There are some other questions, but they are more about preferences rather than necessity.

I can once again mention the powers of parliament. I do understand political parties, especially those represented in parliament, that believe that we have reached a level in the development of parliamentarism in Russia when parliament could take on additional functions and assume greater responsibility. All we need is to give this idea serious thought.

As for competition in politics, 54 parties are registered in Russia, and four of them I believe are about to be dissolved. Still, 50 parties is a good number, and 12 of them operate at the federal level. I believe that this meets the standard for political competition.



Dmitry Peskov:

We have not yet given the floor to the organisers of the broadcast of this conference – Rossiya-1. Give the microphone to the right sector. Raise your hand and stand up, please, Rossiya-1, now I see you. Go ahead, please.





Alexander Khristenko:

Good afternoon.

Alexander Khristenko, Rossiya TV channel, VGTRK.

Mr President, our National Welfare Fund is growing, there…



Vladimir Putin:

Thank God.



Alexander Khristenko:

There are trillions there, and more is expected next year. But our financial officials always argue, including in this room not so long ago, whether it is better to save or to spend? Do you think that more should be spent, including in order to spur economic growth? And in connection with this, another question: why are we so afraid of inflation?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

I will start with the end of your question. We are not afraid of inflation, but we believe that it is necessary to target and reduce it, because rising inflation means declining real incomes. We already have issues here that require additional attention, to say the least. So why do we need inflation?

It means price increases, but we do not want price increases. This is one of the fundamental macroeconomic conditions for economic growth. Inflationary expectations undermine the investment process, that is the point. But we have good performance here.

Russia is certainly one of the leaders among emerging markets regarding the state of its financial and budgetary system. According to the latest data, this year’s inflation is 3.25 percent; this is a very good indicator for us, and at the beginning of next year it may well come down to 3 percent.

As for the reserve funds and the National Welfare Fund. Yes, it really has almost tripled this year. This is a very good indicator.

To spend or not to spend was your other question. Look, 20 percent of the National Welfare Fund has already made its way to the economy via a variety of tools, including through VEB. Of this 20 percent, 8 percent was spent directly to fund major infrastructure projects, such as the Central Ring Road in Moscow.

Rolling stock is being purchased for Russian Railways, which is good for transport, keeping jobs and developing transport engineering. Finally, the money was used to improve rail traffic on the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway. I am aware of the miners’ concern about a bottleneck there, but the situation would be really bad if it weren’t for the money already invested in eliminating bottlenecks on the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railways.

Indeed, we are witnessing changes in the coal market, in Europe for example, and we need to ensure the development of the east, so we will go ahead and do this, possibly using the National Welfare Fund.

Last, we made a decision to freeze spending from the National Welfare Fund to allow it to grow to 7 percent of GDP. As a matter of fact, we are already there at 7.3 percent. Technically, this money will only reach the accounts in the summer of 2020, and we will then be able to use it more actively.

Notably, and most importantly, these funds have a higher purpose, to ensure national currency stability, which the fund is effectively doing. It is to a certain extent our safety bag.

As you may be aware, we honoured almost all of our social commitments in 2008 amid the serious international crisis and spent funds from accumulated reserves despite the sharp drop in federal budget revenue. We were able to accomplish this thanks to these reserve funds. Spending money left and right like a farmer sowing seeds oblivious to what could happen if energy prices fall is the easiest thing. But we will not do this, and will instead use the funds in accordance with the decisions adopted earlier.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let’s move this way. Here is Yaroslavl, our colleagues from Yaroslavl. Stand up, please. Please, pass on the microphone there, on the left.



Arseny Kondratyev:

Good afternoon, Mr President. Arseny Kondratyev, Yaroslavia State Television and Broadcasting Company, Yaroslavl Region.

My question continues Match TV’s topic about WADA, but it is not about sports – it’s about the development of the regions. Now that our athletes have been banned from participating in international competitions, other big events are under question, and Yaroslavl was the proposed venue for the 2022 Volleyball World Championship.

For Yaroslavl as well as other cities it is a unique opportunity to build new sports facilities and to develop transport and tourism infrastructure. Will we and other cities lose this opportunity now?



Vladimir Putin:

I do not think so, because WADA did not prohibit the hosting of these events; let’s read this more closely: they recommend international federations not to host events. Let’s just say, the UEFA European Championship is still happening.

Recently I have had a meeting with the head of this organisation, who said directly: “The tickets are sold out.” Who will return them? WADA is not going to reimburse the tickets; this is nonsense. I think that the volleyball championship you mentioned will also take place.

You know, I think that we should calmly wait for the decisions, including the decisions by the Court of Arbitration for Sports, and then we will see where we are. However, Russian athletes have been preparing for all the competitions and will continue to do so. They are brilliant, and they will impress us with their victories many times.





Dmitry Peskov:

I can see our largest state newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Please. Stand up, please, so everyone can see you. Wait, where are they? One moment, I just saw Rossiyskaya Gazeta…



Vladimir Putin:

While he is choosing…



Dmitry Peskov:

Just a moment, please. Here we go.



Vladimir Putin:

While he is choosing, let’s have question from CCTV. Go ahead, please.



Sun Yao:

Good afternoon, Mr President.

I am a correspondent of China’s CCTV media corporation. I have two questions.

The first question is about Chinese-Russian relations. This year marks 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. We can say that our bilateral ties have entered a new era. And my question is this: which results of our partnership do you see as the most significant, and what future cooperation potential do you see between our countries?

The other question is about international affairs. The global situation today is full of uncertainty and instability. Obviously, some countries pursue a policy to maintain a unipolar world and protectionism, undermining the foundations of international law and free trade, while China and Russia are both supporters of a multipolar world. So what steps do you think China and Russia could take to support the original principles of a multipolar system and free trade, and how could they effectively respond to external challenges?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

The most important thing that we have achieved in recent years, between Russia and the People’s Republic of China… The most important thing is not even the figures I will cite in a moment, or the industries in which we cooperate – the most important achievement is the unprecedented level of trust that has developed between our countries.

This is what forms the basis for our accomplishments in the economy (our bilateral trade has topped 100 billion, and we will certainly attain even 200 billion, we will reach that mark), and for our successful high-tech projects – in space exploration, the aircraft industry, and transport in general, and in many other areas.

Russian-Chinese cooperation is undoubtedly a major factor of international stability, including the strengthening of international law and the creation of a multipolar world.

As a matter of fact, it has already been created; a unipolar world no longer exists. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was an illusion that this system was possible and that it would last for a long time, but it was only an illusion. I always said so. The most recent events have indicated just that. When you say ‘some countries,’ you, first of all, mean the United States. The world’s multipolarity is a derivative of economic relations.

After World War II, the US share in world GDP was 50 percent. And now China’s share is higher than the US’s share, I may be mistaken, but China is ahead of the United States in its share of global GDP. And also in many other indicators. In terms of purchasing power parity, the Chinese economy has become larger than the American one.

This inevitably leads to changes in many other areas. And apart from that, the world simply cannot have a unipolar structure, with a single centre that governs the entire international community.

The role of our interaction with China is very important here. We will continue to strengthen our multilateral strategic ties. I am sure that this will benefit the people of China and the Russian Federation alike.



Dmitry Peskov:

Rossiyskaya Gazeta, take the floor, please.



Remark:

The Urals!



Vladimir Putin:

Wait, wait.



Remark:

Mr President, the Urals!



Vladimir Putin:

One moment, keep it down, please. Come to the meeting then.





Remark:

Please give money for schools and the metro.



Vladimir Putin:

Alright, I understand.



Kira Latukhina:

Kira Latukhina, Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

I would like to return to the issue of our Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Next year we will celebrate the anniversary – the 75th anniversary, the Year of Memory and Glory. But at the same time, in September this year, the European Parliament adopted a resolution stating that Nazism and fascism are equated with the Soviet regime, having timed it with the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. They are calling it totalitarianism and suggesting introducing a new international holiday to celebrate the day of heroes of the fight against totalitarianism on May 25. What do you think about it? What is your opinion?



Vladimir Putin:

There is nothing good about totalitarianism, it is worthy of condemnation, without any doubt.

I know about the European Parliament’s decision. I consider it absolutely unacceptable and wrong, because you can condemn Stalinism and totalitarianism as a whole, and in some ways these will be well-deserved reproaches. Our people were the biggest victims of totalitarianism. We condemned it and the personality cult and so on.

But to equate the Soviet Union or to put the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany on one level is incredible cynicism. This means that people do not know history; they cannot read or write. Let them read the documents of that time, let them see how the so-called Munich Agreement was signed in 1938, when the heads of the leading countries – France, Great Britain – signed an agreement with Hitler on the partition of Czechoslovakia.

How did Poland behave in this situation, which, as one diplomat wrote at the time, “did everything possible to participate in the partition of Czechoslovakia?” How did the Soviet Union behave then, proposing to all participants in international life to create a united anti-Nazi front?

And how, by not creating it, they were really trying to push Hitler to aggression to the East, not realising then that Nazi Germany was interested not in Polish-German relations, but in expanding their living space to the East, that is, war against the Soviet Union.

You see, I mean to write an article about this event. I will definitely have it published because I asked my colleagues to select archive materials for me. When I read some of them, everything becomes clear: everything in the process of appeasing Hitler is sorted out by year, month, and almost by day.

Stalin did not stain himself with direct contact with Hitler whereas the French and British leaders met with him and signed some documents. Yes the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and the secret protocols to it were signed.

Is it good or bad? I draw your attention to this – it is crucial – that the Soviet Union was the last country in Europe to sign a non-aggression pact with Germany. All the others had signed it earlier. And what was the Soviet Union supposed to do? Face it alone?

Yes, they say there were secret protocols, the division of Poland. Poland itself joined in dividing Czechoslovakia. It entered two regions – Tesin and another one. And that’s it. Poland took them over. They in fact gave an ultimatum and set up an entire group for the aggression. But it was not needed because Czechoslovakia surrendered under pressure and gave those territories away. But the Poles did the same.

By the way, yes, Soviet troops entered Poland under the protocols. I draw your attention to the following circumstance: the troops did enter but only after the Polish government lost control over their armed forces and over the developments in Poland while the government itself was somewhere near the Polish-Romanian border. There was no one to talk to about it. Do you see this?

Moreover, we talk about the heroic defenders of the Brest Fortress. Nazi troops captured Brest-Litovsk and then just abandoned it, and the Red Army moved in. Do you understand this or not? This is what I want to ask all those who adopt such resolutions in the European Parliament.

That means the Red Army did not invade those territories in Poland. German troops entered them and then left, and after that the Soviet troops entered. Does this mean anything? So I will definitely let you know about that. By the way, we are holding a CIS format meeting tomorrow, and I want to show my CIS colleagues some of our archival documents. Anyone interested is welcome to come and listen.



Dmitry Peskov:

You know, I saw the upper part of the central sector: Irkutsk.



Yekaterina Machavariani:

Yekaterina Machavariani, the Krasnaya Liniya TV channel.

Mr President, my question is not about Irkutsk, but about former Irkutsk Region Governor Sergei Levchenko, whose resignation you recently accepted.

Our correspondents have been in the region, in particular, in Tulun, since August, and they see a slightly different picture than the one shown by the federal media. And the figures achieved by Sergei Levchenko speak for themselves.

He is the only governor who managed to double the budget over three years and increase the speed of social housing construction six-fold and of the region’s economic development by six percent, which is higher than the world average.

Speaking about relief efforts following the floods, even your Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Siberian Federal District Sergei Menyailo praised their speed: today 98 percent of the victims have received either housing or housing certificates. There are only 46 people at the temporary housing centre, and almost all of them have housing certificates.

My question is why you accepted the resignation of such an effective governor? Is Tulun the real reason or is there something else? Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

Listen, if you are hinting at his membership of the Communist Party, let me assure you that this has nothing to do with it. There are representatives of the Communist Party and other parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, who won the elections and work as governors in other regions, too. This does not matter to me. The main thing is that the governor’s work is effective.

You have mentioned some figures. But I have different figures, which say that there are still many problems in Irkutsk. This is the first point.

Second, I cannot say that Governor Levchenko was bad at what he did. No. But the situation there was too difficult to work slowly, and the elections were approaching. I did not accept these resignations straight away; I looked into them. You said that everyone has housing. Is that really so? Winter has come. This is the second point.

Third, you may have noted what people said when I was there. Including “Send us different people.” I took my time and watched how the situation was developing.

So there are many problems there. You know, I do not want to throw stones at someone who has already left. Of course, he was working hard, especially in the beginning. But these conditions require a specialist who can work on the tasks that need addressing.

I believe the person we have chosen, a deputy emergencies minister, will resolve this challenge, especially with the support of the federal centre, which is allocating a lot of money for this.



Dmitry Peskov:

We have undeservingly overlooked RBK.

RBK, please.



Polina Khimshiashvili:

Good afternoon. Polina Khimshiashvili, RBK.

You mentioned your meeting tomorrow: you will meet with the President of Belarus. Tell me please, what do you think the Union State should be like? What should be shared in politics and in the economy? What specifically does Alexander Lukashenko dislike in your proposals? And if Belarus insists that gas prices should be the same as in Russia, does this mean that with the gas issue we can have a single state and in other issues we cannot?

And another question on the same subject. Many people are focusing on the year 2024 and think that hypothetically you will be able to head the Union State.

And, as a follow-up to my colleague’s question about Ivan Golunov: maybe you have been told who ordered the planting of drugs on him? Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

So far I do not have any information on who ordered that, just to answer this part of your question.

As for our relations with Belarus and energy resource prices: first, I think the decisions made to form the Union State were correct. The Russian and Belarussian peoples are, in my opinion, the same as the Ukrainian and Russian peoples; it is almost the same thing in terms of ethnicity and our history and spirituality. This is why I am very happy that we have such rapprochement with Belarus.

And we have achieved certain goals here, especially in the social area. However, the decisions taken on the creation of the Union State, the majority of the basic decisions have yet to be implemented. About 90 percent of each issue have not been done yet. Please read what is written there, this is not a classified document; there is almost nothing there.

A lot has been done already within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, and in some respects economic integration in the EAEU is more comprehensive than in the Union State. This is why I, and Alexander Lukashenko, decided to return to this and see what should be done to expedite the development of the Union State.

We have taken the relevant decisions in the EAEU on energy resources: to fulfil certain decisions, including establishing a common energy market and on oil and gas issues, by 2024. Indeed, we sell everything to Belarus duty free. This is the first thing.

Secondly, with regard to our energy exports, including gas to Europe and Belarus. Firstly, Belarus pays the lowest prices that are even possible for our foreign partners. Let me remind you that they pay $127 per 1,000 cubic metres. We sell to Europe for $200. So Gazprom’s profitability from sales to Europe and Belarus differs – do you know by how much? Four times. In Russia, the weighted average price of gas is $70 per 1,000 cubic metres – $70 is the weighted average, with $75 for industry and $62 for retail consumers.

Furthermore, the longer the distance from the production sites, the more we subsidise this price. Smolensk is located in a zone where subsidies are the highest. Smolensk consumes approximately 2 billion. We sell 20 billion to Belarus. And if we subsidise the entire Belarusian economy, it means that we, Russia, are subsidising a primary energy carrier such as natural gas for a whole country. But this, you see, sounds like a very strange idea. That Russia should subsidise another country as much as its most subsidised region – Smolensk. This would be just strange.

Is this even possible or not? It is. But what do we need for this? To do this, we would need general rules such as laws, including taxation laws, laws on the subsidy policy, and on support of certain industries through budgets of different levels. To do this, we would also need common supranational bodies – control and issuance bodies. Common rules should be applied in the field of antitrust policy, and maybe a common body would be needed. This is a huge job, and it can be done and realised only if there is political will and interest on both sides. Incidentally, we have such an interest. We are discussing this with our Belarusian partners, and we are making significant progress on that. But how far we will go is not yet clear. So it would be a mistake, on our part, to jump the gun and begin to subsidise Belarus. We are not ready to do so, given the unresolved issues in building this Union.

As you know, we also sell oil duty free, which entails a large shortfall for the Russian budget. We are now reconfiguring our tax system in this field, and gradually increasing the severance tax (mineral extraction tax) simultaneously reducing the export customs duties. Due to these changes, Belarus is indeed losing the premium it had from the zero customs duties and the subsequent export of oil products. This is our domestic policy.

This has nothing to do with Belarus. It depends on a number of other circumstances – the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Energy consider it better for us to regulate the industry differently, in a different way, bearing in mind our budget losses arising from the activities of economic operators within the country. But we understand all these problems, and are conducting a dialogue with our colleagues and we will continue doing so.

Allow me to remind you that we support our Belarusian friends through so many channels. Belarus has received about $7 billion or so in loans alone, as far as I know. And we will continue to do this. But all this should be done through dialogue, and we are ready for this dialogue, and we are ready to open our market further. You know that Russia accounts for almost 90 percent of all agricultural exports from Belarus. And so on and so forth. This is just routine work; in fact, we are working very smoothly, doing balanced work in this area.

I repeat once again, we are close to agreement on some matters; on others, agreements have not been reached yet. We will continue working.





Dmitry Peskov:

Let us move away from our European borders. I see Magadan over there. Go ahead, Magadan. Please stand up and introduce yourself.



(Remark from the audience.)



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you very much.



Dmitry Peskov:

Thank you. And now Magadan, please.



Olga Burlya:

Good afternoon, I am Olga Burlya, Kolyma Plus regional TV company, Magadan. Thank you from Kolyma residents, Mr President, for your support for the Far East and care for the Magadan Region, in particular.

Let me go back to the Far East mortgage. Our colleagues from Omsk may have it, too, whereas the programme has already been launched in the Far Eastern Federal District, we already have the first borrowers. It is an excellent initiative with an attractive interest rate of two percent.

But could it happen that the banks start toughening the conditions and requirements for such unprofitable and inconvenient clients? We already know that problems can arise when using the maternity capital to make mortgage payments. Families with children are refused mortgages by large banks.

What are the guarantees for potential participants in such state-support programmes? Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Banks do not refuse to use maternity capital for resolving mortgage issues. It is just that the procedures for receiving the money are too complicated and create problems for people. You are absolutely right here. The situation undoubtedly must change. We have to cut the number of days needed to transfer the maternity capital as the down payment or as a mortgage payment and so on.

In general, such decisions are being made now, the number of days will be halved. But, as some of my colleagues think, this is also not enough. What do we need to do here? We have to expand the use of the so-called electronic turnover so that the relations between the bank’s client and the Pension Fund, which channels the maternity capital, and respective developers should not involve a person. Thus a person can just submit an application, and the banks will immediately take matters up with the Pension Fund regarding how much money and when they will receive. In this case, it can be done within one day, and we can and must do it. We discussed it quite recently with my colleagues, and we will do that.

Concerning the two percent mortgage interest rate for the Far East. Why should banks refuse? We subsidise that from the federal budget. This interest rate will not bring any losses to them; on the contrary, it is a state guarantee. So I do not expect any problems here. However, we will be monitoring the practice, the implementation of these measures.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62366
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 21st, 2019 #35
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference - PART II



The news conference was broadcast live by Rossiya-1, Rossiya-24, Channel One, NTV television channels, as well as radio stations Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii.



December 19, 2019 - 16:20 - Moscow







Dmitry Peskov:

Here are our colleagues from the foreign media. Introduce yourself, please.



Christian Esch:

Good afternoon, Mr President!

My name is Christian Esch, I head Spiegel magazine’s Moscow office.

I have a question that concerns a matter that worries and annoys Germany, the murder of a citizen of Georgia of Chechen ethnicity, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili. The information coming from Moscow and Berlin is decidedly different.

Therefore, I wanted to ask you, first, about the killer. Germany says it did not receive proper information from Russia. It turned out that this person was identical to a person who had already been in prison in Russia. So there must be information about him.

The second question concerns the murder victim. You mentioned in Paris at a news conference following the Normandy meeting that Russia repeatedly asked for the extradition of this person. The German foreign minister recently confirmed that there have been no requests neither from Russia’s Interior Ministry nor through other channels. So who is right, you or him?



Vladimir Putin:

Both of us, because these issues have been discussed at the special services level more than once. Indeed, there was no official request from the prosecutor’s office, because our authorities believed that doing so would be pointless, since they received a negative answer.

Once again, I will repeat what I said at the news conference in Paris. He was an absolute bloody killer. He killed 98 people, just think about that, 98 people in the Caucasus in one day. Many countries declare national mourning with many fewer deaths. He participated in bombings in the Moscow Metro. And the list of his crimes goes on. Indeed, we have repeatedly raised this issue at the special services level.

With regard to cooperation, I believe the main thing we should understand about this is that cooperation should be full and it should be a two-way street.

In Syria, we are witnessing developments in the camps and prisons where ISIS militants are held. Natives of Central Asia account for most of the foreigners there, followed by Russia. But there are many immigrants from Western Europe as well, including France and the Federal Republic of Germany.

We see that the people you just mentioned – terrorists and murderers – walk freely around European capitals. As far as I know, he was killed in central Berlin. Picture such a person strolling down the streets of a European capital. Would you like the prisoners from these camps to come to you? Will you also let them walk freely around your cities?

To avoid this, we must establish joint and highly effective work. This is what we are calling for. We hope it will be like that eventually. This does not mean that such work does not exist. It does. But its scope and nature are still insufficient.

Incidentally, at some point, we warned the Americans about the Tsarnaev brothers, or whatever their name is. We told them directly. First, we asked to extradite them, as well, and then told the Americans that they were a threat. They ignored us. The brothers then committed a notorious terrorist attack during the Boston marathon, and people died. Do you see my point? And you have bandits like that walking around Berlin.



Dmitry Peskov:

Introduce yourself, please.



Svetlana Drobysheva:

Svetlana Drobysheva, Editor-in-Chief of the School, Gymnasium, Lyceum magazine and author and former employee of Ogonyok, Rossiyaskaya Gazeta under the name Seregina, and even Pravda. I have worked everywhere, even in Tribuna. I have taken off my glasses, because I had lost the hope that I would get the floor.

Mr President, first of all, I would like to present to you a copy of the October 2000 edition of Ogonyok magazine, with my address to you. It is titled Where is the Monument to the Teacher? It is for the public and for you as the newly elected President.

First, thank you for your quick response. The monument was erected in the capital of Daghestan; my mother was an innovative teacher who gave 49 years of her life to teaching. I would like to be brief, but I have two questions about the war, for Victory Day.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let us show consideration for our colleagues. Go ahead, please.





Svetlana Drobysheva:

Yes, well, if I may, I will ask for your help to present my gift and ask all the questions I have.

I would like to ask you to pardon the person who erected this monument back in 2006. It is called Monument to a Russian Teacher, and it is 25 metres high. The man is Said Amirov, he is in prison now. According to numerous data, he was falsely accused. This is the first amnesty.

I have a second name here; it is the former head of Fryazino.

There are two questions regarding the spring of 1945. Perhaps we will touch upon May 9, the 75th anniversary of Victory, and what awaits us.

First, I want to ask you, Mr President, to award the status of the Hero of Russia to Sofya Arakcheyeva, a scout of the Znamensky squad who was tortured to death in Orel Region in February 1942. I believe Sergei Mironov asked you about this.

Secondly, to immortalise her memory in films, music and television. Newspapers wrote about this a lot, thank you all. Thanks to Potomsky, former Governor of Orel Region, who erected a monument to Sofya Arakcheyeva in Orel Region.

If possible, I would like to ask for five or seven passes to the Victory Parade for those who collected signatures, such as teacher Israilov and Deputy Governor of Tambov Region: all the signatures were collected in 2013 for you.

And my second question. I will not take much time…



Dmitry Peskov:

You know, I am sorry, but you have already done this.



Svetlana Drobysheva:

Thank you. I am sorry.



Dmitry Peskov:

Respect you colleagues. Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Speaking about the Heroes of Russia, I have to look into this; I do not have the materials at the moment. I will ask my colleagues to take your materials and look into the archives.

As for a pardon for Amirov, yes, I receive a lot of requests and I will look into this. But there is a court ruling, and his crimes were proven during the trial; in any case, there is no doubt. The pardon is a different thing, which is done on different grounds. I know about this and we will think about it.



Svetlana Drobysheva: (without microphone.)



Vladimir Putin:

Do you want a dialogue or my answer? Let us see. Give us the materials, please.

As for your request about the Parade, please tell us who you want to bring and it will be our pleasure to work on this.





Dmitry Peskov:

Good. Thank you.

We have Channel Five; I think I saw them here. Where is Channel Five? Raise your hand, please. No need to shout. Left side, Mr President, Channel Five, St Petersburg.



Yevgeny Gusev:

Good afternoon, Mr President.

My name is Yevgeny Gusev. I represent the Izvestia multimedia information centre and Channel Five.

My question concerns sanctions and political pressure from the European Union. Here is one telling fact. Latvia recently banned several Russian channels, including Channel Five. The situation is very unpleasant. To be honest, our colleagues in Estonia are involved in a conflict now, and in other countries as well.

The situation has not improved of late, if anything, it has worsened. We can see this in the attitude towards Russia in the European Union. Do you think it can change for the better, especially since we all understand that these sanctions are pointless? And how much does this pressure affect Russia, and what impact will it have in the future?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

We have repeatedly discussed this topic. There are various assessments of the consequences of these sanctions for all participants in this unpleasant process, but they all boil down to the same thing. For the European Union, the losses amount to some of 50 billion euros. I do not remember exactly, but I believe the World Bank estimated around $50 million; for Germany, I believe, the losses amount to about 750 million a month or so.

These are major losses. This is not just about money, some abstract sums. This is about jobs, the loss of markets, including the Russian market. Other participants in international economic relations are coming to our market.

We actually support a full normalisation, especially since none of that really works effectively. Indeed, this policy causes us problems, but there are benefits, too, and they are also obvious. One of them is the development of agriculture, a leap in development: 24 billion in export revenue – this is simply unbelievable! No one would have believed this a few years ago. We spent a lot of money, trillions if we add up all sources, on import substitution, but we used it well. Just look at the result.

For example, Russia has never had its own helicopter engine industry. We have one now. We have built facilities, including the plant in St Petersburg – above all in St Petersburg. We did not make ship engines; there was simply no such industry in Russia. It is a whole separate industry now. We have it now, a next-generation industry, operating effectively. We have launched an entire industry, with its science base, school, and production. In the field of defence, we have made great strides. There is still work to do, but the breakthrough is very noticeable, obvious even.

Therefore, it would be better, of course, to eliminate politically motivated restrictions in economic activities. They result in huge damage to world trade and the global economy. There are analyses of this. Say, the US imposes restrictions on China – in reality they are also actually sanctions – this affects the overall world economy, and world trade levels promptly drop.

If this continues, trade will continue dropping. But there seems to be some progress, thank God, in their relations. We can also be harmed by this, because it affects us, it affects the demand for our major export commodities, etc.

So there is nothing good about this. But our economy – I can say this with full responsibility – has been able to adapt to external shock, while our national currency has actually become much more stable even with possible fuel price fluctuations. In this respect, our economy and our national currency are somewhat “detached” from world oil markets.

The defence industry. Go ahead, young lady, with what you have on the defence industry.



Lidia Novoseltseva:

Good afternoon, Mr President.

My name is Lidia Novoseltseva, I am from Rostov Region.

Defence industry companies have been successfully operating in our region since Soviet times. The latest advances in military science and in the defence industry are quite capable of a technological breakthroughs. Can you tell us if there are measures under consideration…

I am sorry, I am very nervous.



Vladimir Putin:

It is OK.



Lidia Novoseltseva:

Are there additional short-term measures under consideration for the support and development of defence industry competitiveness?

And a wish, if I may. Next year is full of anniversaries, including the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory, and the 450th anniversary of the Cossacks’ allegiance to the Russian state. The city of Novocherkassk in Rostov Region will host the World Cossack Congress. You have always supported Rostov Region and the Cossacks. We would like to invite you to the event.

Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

Thank you for the invitation. This is very interesting. I will look into my schedule.

Regarding the defence industry and the developments there, first, the key is that we have not only maintained it but it is also progressing at a very fast and strong pace with the latest scientific and technological developments.

The first thing we did in this area was upgrade the manufacturing base. We allocated huge funds, I think it was 3 trillion rubles, to upgrade this industry. And we actually created cutting-edge weapons systems on this base using new design. We accomplished this expeditiously and consistently. And we have achieved positive results, as life and experience show.

One of the key issues now is the debt burden in the defence industry. I am not going to scare you with the numbers, but they are significant. It is a matter of billions of rubles. The Government, the Central Bank, all the shareholders in the process, including the defence industry companies and the government officials in charge, are now working to untangle this knot. There are feasible market solutions. I will not get ahead of myself.

Just a few days ago, I had another meeting with my colleagues on this issue, and I instructed them to draft the final version of the solution within a week. These are big issues for the people working in the defence industry, and for the overall economy, because the defence industry is to a certain degree a hi-tech industry driver. We will continue to develop it.



Dmitry Peskov:

In the middle – Gazeta.Ru. The first row. Please, pass the microphone.



Margarita Gerasyukova:

Good afternoon, Mr President.

I am Margarita Gerasyukova, from Gazeta.Ru.

This past May you said if anyone can establish a monopoly in artificial intelligence – the results will be clear – that person would rule the world. Can you describe Russia’s position today in the race for the development of artificial intelligence technologies? Where are we now – are we competitive or are we catching up? And in which future or maybe already achieved projects can the average Russian see the application of artificial intelligence technology?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

The average person can already see applications in banking, for example. Sberbank is active in applying digital technologies in its customer relations and it has a practical application.

In general, we have serious competitive advantages here too. I mean an advanced mathematics school and everything related to it: digital technologies based on mathematics. We have just discussed, your colleague asked and I answered, the use of maternal capital. If we develop these technologies, we will have fewer technical problems like this.

The modern concept of artificial intelligence is still being developed. There are several definitions of artificial intelligence and the highest is a spontaneously developing, so-called “thinking” intelligence.

We have made progress in some areas, and in some, we have not done enough. But there are some obvious things: apart from banking, there are, say, unmanned aircraft and autonomous vehicles. Our Yandex and KAMAZ vehicles have already logged over a million kilometers.

Yes, so far this is being done on a limited basis; yes, so far it is not being applied comprehensively in everyday life. However, these are the first steps, without which development is simply not possible. These are technologies that can be used in almost every area of manufacturing and life.

We believe, and I continue to believe that the most important question for our long-term development is the question of national security and the survival of the Russian state in general. This is because the capabilities of artificial intelligence will influence both defence and the pace of economic development.

We have drawn up a programme and created a special pool of potentially interested investors and participants in this process. Each has received an assignment, each knows what to do. There is a national project in this area and the resources for it have been allocated. Therefore, this is one of the most important of our development areas. I am not even talking about the obvious things related to the quality of manufacturing and labour productivity.

This is especially important for us, given our huge territory and relatively small population – 146 million; if we do not move in this direction, we will not be able even to guard our territory properly. This is the point. These are absolutely substantive things. This is one of the key areas of our development.



Dmitry Peskov:

Perhaps let us get back to the foreign media. Turkey, Anadolu Agency, please.



Ali Cura:

Thank you. Ali Jura, Anadolu Agency.

Russia has stressed many times that it supports the legitimate government, in particular, in Syria and other countries where a crisis situation remains. There is also a crisis in Libya. There is a legitimate government recognised by the international community there. The Western media say that Russia supports the so-called Libyan National Army, that Russian mercenaries support them.

Would you comment on this? Will you discuss this with President Erdogan, including the Syrian topic? What else will you discuss? Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

Do you believe what is written in the Western media? Read what they write about Turkey and you will change your mind.

Seriously speaking, of course, we are aware of the situation. We know that various countries have relations with both sides in the conflict, and the levels of relations are different.

Russia actually maintains contacts with al-Sarraj’s government and stays in touch with Marshal Haftar. We have a constant dialogue with our partners, including those in Turkey, Europe, and other countries. We understand that this is a very acute issue.

You also know very well who drove the country to this state. Russia was against using military force in Libya, and the UN Security Council Resolution on this prohibited former President of Libya Muammar al-Gaddafi from using the aviation against the opposition, which was armed, by the way. Instead, the Western coalition started using its air force against Libya, perverting the UN Security Council Resolution. As a result of this, a prospering country whose quality of life was close to some European standards is now in ruins, in chaos, torn by an unending civil war. It is very difficult to determine who is right and who is wrong.

In fact, the Russian authorities are in touch with al-Sarraj and Haftar, as I have said. We think that the best solution for all the parties to the conflict would be one that would allow them to end the hostilities and come to an agreement on who, how and on what terms will run the country. I believe that Libya is interested in this.

This is what we will definitely discuss with our partners in Europe. I have just talked about this in a telephone conversation with the German chancellor and the President of France. President Erdogan and I have also discussed this. A Turkish delegation will arrive in Moscow in the next few daysfor a working visit, and their agenda will include this issue. I hope we will find solutions that will be accepted by Libya and the Libyan people, and I hope that together with Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ghassan Salame we will find the final solution.



Dmitry Peskov:

PRIME Agency, they have the smallest sign.



Maria Balyuk:

Maria Balyuk, PRIME Agency.

Mr President, my question is: why does the state change the pension system rules every several years, and why has it been freezing the pension contributions of citizens for several years? Maybe it is worth consolidating long-term rules that will not change anymore and that will support citizens’ trust in the pension system? And is it true that a new pension reform is coming?



Vladimir Putin:

As for the pension system, all the decisions have been made and written into law, and no changes will be made there. No new pension reform is being developed or even discussed in the Government, the Executive Office or anywhere.

Certain proposals of the Finance Ministry in this area apply only to [pension] savings, which in fact can be considered investments. We are simply speaking about their protection.



Dmitry Peskov:

You know, we have not yet given the floor to NTV. He has almost lost hope. You do not have to introduce yourself.



Vladimir Kondratyev:

Thank you.

Mr President, I have a question on domestic policy. The demographic situation, as we know, was complicated this year, as well as last year, but this year we see a record negative result. This is connected, of course, primarily with the 1990s, with the low birth rate. But is it now necessary to make up for the population decline with an influx of immigrants from the former Soviet republics, especially from the southern republics? This does not please a significant part of Russians.

And how will the current Demography national project help here? Or maybe the state has other effective measures, for example, simplifying or, perhaps, easing legislation on granting citizenship to Russian-speaking compatriots?





Vladimir Putin:

In my opinion, much more can be done concerning migration.

There are only two approaches (in the world and in general) to solving the demographic problem in the world. They are an increase in the birth rate, natural population growth, and immigration. In Canada, for example, a whole ministry deals with immigration, if I am not mistaken. But what do they do? They do not just accept everyone; they accept people of a certain age, with a certain health status and level of education. In fact, we also need to approach migration in this way.

Of course, it is easier for people who know and respect Russian culture and who speak Russian to adapt to the situation in Russia. This is why it is easier, for example, for Belarusians, Ukrainians and Moldovans, because it is simpler for them. And the locals take it easier. There are 3 million Ukrainians living in Russia, and almost the same number came after the tragic events in Donbass.

It is more difficult to adapt for those who come, for example, from Central Asia. What can we do? We have to introduce our education systems, open Russian language courses, Russian schools and university branches, so that those who come here feel more comfortable and do not irritate the locals, which can happen when they see disrespect for our culture and history. This is not only true for those who come from Central Asia but also for domestic migrants, for example, from the North Caucasus.

We were talking about Chechnya or any other republic, Daghestan, for example. Some people behave in a way they never would at home. This can be irritating, but it does not mean we should ban people from moving around. The economy requires an influx of immigrants, and the lack of qualified people in the labour market is an objective factor that holds the economy back today.

We must do this smartly, systematically. It is simply necessary that the people in the Russian regions work there, so that people who move from one Russian region to another feel comfortable and at the same time respect local traditions, laws and rules. I believe this can be done and must be done, if approached systematically.



Dmitry Peskov:

We have been working for two and a half hours now.

Let us give Crimea a chance to ask a question. Please stand up. Stand up and raise your hand. No, not you. Yes, you, young lady, please, go ahead.



Irina Ivanchenko:

Mr President,

First, Crimeans are expecting to see you next week in Crimea, where, we hear, you will be opening a railway across the Crimean Bridge.



Vladimir Putin:

That is right.



Irina Ivanchenko:

My question is about ill children. I am one of those Russians who start their mornings by sending out text messages collecting money for sick children’s treatments. I cannot sit back and watch the televised reports, they tear up my heart and soul, and it is impossible to live and breathe after watching them.

Please tell me whether it is possible to have Russian children treated and rehabilitated free of charge, without any preliminary conditions or benefits? Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

First of all, you are aware that healthcare is free in our country, just like education. There are segments covered by privately owned healthcare institutions. Therefore, we are talking about the need for significant changes in primary care, since people should be able to receive medical assistance free of charge. This applies to everyone, including children, especially children. This is what happens in the vast majority of cases. By the way, I already mentioned that we had significantly reduced child mortality. This is one way to resolve demographic problems.

I will get back to your question, as I have something to add to my answer.

You mentioned 1999. Look what happened then. I have already mentioned it many times, and the demographers are well aware of it. We had two major demographic troughs. It is a horrible thing to say, but the total birth rate stood at 1.1 in 1943–1944 and 1999, as if there was a war, the same rate. A major decline, indeed. We are now haunted by this. Every 20 years, a thin generation of those born in these years enters adulthood, the childbearing age, but by definition, there are few of them, both men and women.

Men do not give birth to children, women do. Therefore, I want to share the latest data with you. The number of women aged 20 to 29 has decreased by 4.5 million over the past few years. These are objective numbers. What we need to do is strive to ensure that the birth rate increases through second and third births, etc. We must create proper conditions for people with children, as their lives are not easy.

If there are more questions on this, I am ready to answer them. We have planned a system of measures to support families with the first child, and maternity capital – we have extended the legitimate uses of maternity capital – and made changes to the entitlement criteria for receiving child benefits. Before, it was one and a half minimum subsistence baskets per family member to be entitled to the benefit; now we have expanded to two minimun wages. This will dramatically increase the number of recipients of this benefit. And there is a package of benefits. But still, we are looking at what else can be done. As you know, we have made a decision on mortgages. If a third child is born, the state immediately gives 450,000 rubles so the family can apply for a mortgage.

We added some regions that previously were not included in this support for families with children, in the Urals and Siberia (answering questions from our colleagues from Siberia). Now, there too, people can receive additional support.

I know this is not enough; we need to generally increase living standards, on the whole, to achieve growth in wages and people’s real incomes. The general sentiment, family planning and broader planning horizons will depend on the economy.

Of course, we need to make sure that children are treated with special concern, and we are trying to do just that. With medicines, for example, we have separated children’s pharmaceuticals into a special category (which was not the case before). But this is far from the only thing we have done.

As for charitable activities such as crowdfunding calls on our leading channels, projects to help specific children – these calls and projects cannot be prohibited. Helping even one or two children matters. If this saves at least one life – it is great, and God will bless you when you appear before Him; it will be good. Yet, these activities change little in the bigger picture. What needs to be done is to improve children's healthcare and bring it to a higher level; this is true.





Dmitry Peskov:

I see Life News over there.



Vladimir Putin:

Hold on. Domestic violence. Do you want to ask about the law?



Dmitry Peskov:

Go ahead. The third row in the centre.



Elina Zhgutova:

Good afternoon. Mr President, Mr Peskov and the world watching us now.

It turns out that we do not have any problems more pressing today than domestic violence. The Federation Council drafted a law it posted on its official site.

And the Federation Council got more messages from citizens than it gets in one year. The Russian Orthodox Church is opposed to the draft law, but families with many children sign along. The LGBT community, feminist organisations and even the sex workers’ trade union are collecting signatures to support this law.

You said now that our demographics, the demography curve went into a tailspin …



Vladimir Putin:

It is not a tailspin, but a predicted decline, an obvious trend.



Elina Zhgutova:

We nevertheless say that we must somehow resolve demographic issues. However, this law contains provisions that allow officials to enter any family. That is, there is a certain number of scoundrels and sadists, but forgive me, we are being fed deliberately overblown numbers. I personally on behalf of my news agency sent an enquiry to the Interior Ministry’s Main Information and Analysis Centre and I was given the numbers that are totally at odds with what we are being fed by that infamous Anna Centre which is one of the main …



Vladimir Putin:

Your question.



Elina Zhgutova:

Your opinion. Have you read the text and do you think it will be the last nail in the coffin of our demographics? It actually containsprovisions for total control over the family.

The question is, what is your opinion? Have you read the draft law because it is the biggest… A poll conducted by the Federation Council shows that the majority of the 11,000 people polled are against it whereas VTSIOM states that 70 percent of citizens support it. However, the latter poll does not imply that the respondents read the draft law whereas the Federation Council poll presupposes it. People do not breed in captivity, we all know that.



Vladimir Putin:

They do not breed in captivity, that is true.



Elina Zhgutova:

I called it juvenile justice for adults.





Vladimir Putin:

They do breed in captivity– babies are born in prison and in correctional facilities. But it does not matter. So you want my opinion, don’t you?

I have not read the draft law but Valentina Matviyenko briefed me in detail. What do I think about this matter? I have mixed feelings. One cannot be forced to love, first and foremost.

In the past people turned to their trade unions or party committees and demanded that these organisations bring order to families, rein in a spouse, mostly men, of course. But I am not aware if all that had any positive effect. But what I resolutely oppose is any violence, including in families, and of course, against children and women.

This is not just a sign of a very low level of general culture when a stronger person starts pushing for their rights with fists and crude physical violence. There is nothing good in it. Actually, a number of felonies and misdemeanours can be prosecuted by applying the existing legislative provisions, including hooliganism, battery and grave bodily harm. All that is provided for in the current legislation.

But indeed, you are right in saying that the overwhelming majority, over 70 percent of people support this law. I really do not understand if they support this law or they are opposed to violence.



Elina Zhgutova:

Of course, exactly.



Vladimir Putin:

I am also opposed to violence, just like those 70 plus percent of our citizens. Do we need this law? Let us discuss it reasonably, in public; it must go through this sort of a check. We must understand what is written in each of its articles, try to predict the results that would emerge after the adoption and application of the law, and then take the final decision.



Dmitry Peskov:

Life News, the right side of the section.



Alexander Yunashev:

Mr President, good afternoon.

On December 31, half the country, those who do not work shifts, do not work anyway but only pretend to be working. Perhaps it is time to make this a day off, for example, instead of a workday on Saturday? We will have time to prepare for the holiday, and our wives will thank you, perhaps like your future wife. A year ago, you said that you are a good man and will marry sometime. And you are a good man.



Vladimir Putin:

You know, it would be better if your wives thank you. It will strengthen your family. Family is part of society.

Regarding a day off on December 31, I think this is of course logical. I completely agree with your reasoning. This is obvious. But I am not sure this should be done right now, impulsively, on the eve of the New Year.

Some employers have already announced that December 31 is not a workday. In fact, I cannot but welcome this, if they find it possible. Can we switch some non-work days for December 31? It is possible. We need to analyse everything and see if it affects the people who work in their gardens so we do not take an additional day away from them in May, when everyone is at their dachas. This can be solved as a matter of course. We will think about it.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let us hear from RT. We have forgotten about them.



Ilya Petrenko:

Mr President, Mr Peskov, colleagues,

Hello to everyone. I am Ilya Petrenko from RT. Thank you for this chance to ask a question.

RT has a new social project, which is called Not Face to Face, where my colleagues help solve topical problems in Russia. I can say that recently we have had a lot of stories related to the crisis and the lack of vital medicines.

The Health Ministry cannot agree with the purchasers on pricing, but it tries to reassure people saying that there are analogues, that everything is fine. However, we are really into these stories, and it turns out that not everything is fine; the analogues are often not of the same quality and people desperately search for medicines on the internet. This problem exists with various medicines; I can name two, Prednisolone and Frisium.

By the way, regarding Frisium, it looks like the problem has been dealt with in a hands-on manner. However, this medicine still has problems with registration. Another medicine – Fortum – is next in line. Problems are cropping up with this as well, and the list goes on.



Vladimir Putin:

We do not need an endless list. The New Year is fast approaching.





Ilya Petrenko:

Maybe this is good because, as you know, when people hear you, they begin to deal with problems quickly after the news conference as they are haunted by your menacing look. But this is not the most important thing; most importantly, we need a system-wide solution. Here is my question. Do you have a system-wide solution to this problem?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

The government has come up with a number of solutions, which are being implemented. One of them, which they themselves believe is very important, is about registering new prices for medicines during an auction. This change should be implemented soon. This decision has already been made. I mentioned children's medicines, and children's prescription drugs have been put on that list for the first time as well.

With regard to rare orphan diseases that require a high degree of subsidising, they are the most expensive, and some of them are purchased through official channels and some are not. But, of course, we should not deprive people of the opportunity to use these medicines, and they need to be registered.

We must not forget about developing our own pharmaceutical industry. Notably, the Soviet Union was buying medicines in large quantities mainly from Eastern Europe, the so-called countries of the people's democracy. We are currently developing our own pharmaceutical industry.

We are now exporting our medicines to 90 countries, which is unprecedented. Since we are exporting them, this means their quality is recognised as world-class, otherwise nobody would be buying them. I may be mistaken, but last year we sold over 700 million (780 actually, I think) of our medicines abroad.

There are things that need to be approached delicately. People get used to certain medicines, including foreign ones, and we must keep this in mind and let people use them. The Ministry of Healthcare has certain proposals, and I think they will be implemented soon. I mentioned some of them.



Dmitry Peskov:

I can see a sign saying Ufa. Please stand up, show yourself. Give them the microphone.



Azat Gizzatullin:

Good afternoon, Mr President.

Azat Gizzatullin, Bashinform News from Ufa, Bashkortostan.

This year the republic began to actively fight alcoholism. In particular, the sale of alcohol was restricted on some days, such as last school day and September 1.

Today our parliament adopted a law that restricts the sale of alcohol during the upcoming New Year holidays. Recently a survey was taken that showed that two thirds (about 10,000 people) support these restrictive measures.

There is another change: we are actively fighting those who sell illegally produced alcohol, and people can receive a reward for information on such sellers.

My question is that perhaps other effective measures are needed to fight this evil, alcoholism, in addition to the many restrictive measures we have? This year, thanks to these measures, the republic managed to save almost 100 lives. This might seem like a small number, but these are people who were not poisoned by alcohol.

Perhaps you think other measures are necessary in addition to these restrictions?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Such measures are being taken. Look, there has been in the past years and still is an anti-alcohol campaign underway. People do not even see it.

Recently I met with representatives from the German business community in Sochi; perhaps you saw this. It is noteworthy that, counting pure alcohol, Russians drink less than Germans. This is the result of the anti-alcohol campaign. According to World Health Organisation data, this is one reason that life expectancy in Russia is growing, and we have reached 73.4 years, which is higher than last year, and of course this is a notable achievement socially. This is because people drink less alcohol among other things.

Are any administrative restrictions necessary, like in the mid-1980s? This would not hurt, but we should proceed cautiously. Probably we should work on other areas, explain and give an opportunity to choose between different types of alcohol, with an emphasis on products with low alcohol content; I mean wine instead of hard liquor, for example. By the way, winemaking in Russia is developing quite impressively and effectively. This is why we have something to work with here without using further legal restrictions.

The main thing is we have results.



Dmitry Peskov:

The left section please. I saw Vedomosti. Where is Vedomosti? Raise your hand please.



Svetlana Bocharova:

Thank you very much.

Good afternoon, Mr President.

The newspaper Vedomosti, Svetlana Bocharova, correspondent.

You have repeatedly said that the state must stay with the freedom of the internet principle and provide ample opportunity for the exchange of information. Do you personally think our state still supports this principle, or are we moving towards some kind of sovereign internet?

And the second question. If you think the internet is still free in Russia, what can you say to the many users who are now afraid to be labelled foreign agents under the new law?



Vladimir Putin:

A free internet and a sovereign internet are two concepts that are not mutually exclusive. The law you spoke about has only one goal: to prevent the negative consequences of Russia’s possible disconnection from the global network, which is largely governed from abroad. This is what it is about.

Herein lies our sovereignty – that we have our own resources we can always keep operating, so the internet is not cut off from us. The point of this law is just that. Therefore, no, there are no restrictions, and we are not moving towards suspending internet access and we will not do that.

Regarding individuals who may be recognised as foreign agents. I recently spoke at a meeting with human rights activists, and I would like to repeat – we did not invent the term “foreign agent.” This law has been in force in the US since the 1930s – it was adopted in 1938 or in 1939 (1938, if I remember correctly) and it works perfectly.

Recall a recent case where it was applied to an individual: our citizen Maria Butina – an individual – was arrested, and locked in jail without any reason. What kind of agent is she? Nothing of the kind is being done here. Not even close!

They put this woman in prison, and even threatened her with a longer prison term. Come on! There, this foreign agent, or whatever it is, is punished with a good prison term of up to five years. And we have only administrative penalties.

As for individuals, this is what is at stake. When the law was enacted because of organisations receiving money from abroad that were essentially engaged in domestic politics, every state – I want to emphasise this – makes an effort to limit foreign interference in domestic affairs. Therefore, our law is aimed precisely at that.

If you receive money from abroad, from foreign sources, in order to carry out domestic political activity, then just say so: as you know, he who pays the piper calls the tune. This is folk wisdom.

If you receive money from abroad, it is not unreasonable to assume that you are taking orders from those who pay you. But you are still welcome; we do not ban the organisation. In Russia there is no law prohibiting the receipt of money from abroad even for domestic political activity. But you have to at least declare it so that people know about it.

As for individuals. Law enforcement practice shows that, a) there are things to pay attention to and improve to avoid a broad interpretation. This is the most important thing. Because anything can be called political and domestic political activity: environmental work and work in clearly humanitarian areas, including in the healthcare sector. This cannot be allowed, and law enforcement practice needs to be improved. And if the law is written so that it allows this, it also needs to be improved.

But what did those bodies that were engaged in control over this type of activity face? When an organisation begins to fall under the criteria of a foreign agent, what did they start doing? An individual receives financing from abroad and then transfers the money to a legal entity, and it turns out that this legal entity, an organisation, generally does not receive any money from abroad. But the original source is understood – a foreign one. This is the only thing this is about.





Dmitry Peskov:

We have not yet covered REN TV. REN TV, go ahead, please.



Andrei Dobrov:

Izvestia Multimedia Information Centre, REN TV, Andrei Dobrov.

Mr President, a very simple question, and a very short one too. You were close, but for some reason no one has actually asked over all this time. It is about increasing people’s welfare. When will this actually happen? I would really like to know. We have been talking about this, in general, for a long time. It would be great to finally see an increase.

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

I have the latest data on all the main indicators. I understand what you are asking. Indeed, in recent years, we have seen a decrease in people’s real incomes, and this is not good. This is one of the problems that we must certainly resolve, but we must resolve it through higher labour productivity and GDP growth – this is completely obvious.

This is where we should channel our efforts, because everything else, including the distribution of money from our reserve funds or anything like that will lead nowhere, and the money will quickly run out. And if the situation in external markets, including oil, changes, then the source will run out. Therefore, we need to address fundamental issues of economic development and raise the level of wages on this basis.

The wage level has actually grown a little over the past year. Real incomes are also growing slightly. We have seen this in the third quarter. But this is not enough, of course.

Again, we need to work more on this. We have a lot of questions about salaries in education, and in healthcare. I just spoke about healthcare in detail – what steps I think need to be taken there first. We will certainly work on this, on everything that I have just mentioned.



Dmitry Peskov:

Let us take a question from this side. Let Yamal ask their question.



Alisa Yarovskaya:

Thank you.

My name is Alisa Yarovskaya, and Yamal Region is our television channel. You know, scientists say that one advantage of global warming is that the Northern Sea Route is expanding. It passes Yamal. This is why the port of Sabetta is developing now.



Vladimir Putin:

It does not pass Yamal but runs through our territorial waters.



Alisa Yarovskaya:

I agree.

The corresponding surface infrastructure is developing, including a railway line. But the bridge across the River Ob has not been mentioned often lately, and it is very important for us.

Our Governor, Dmitry Artyukhov, is doing everything possible for the project to be implemented, but we hear less and less about it and want to ask if the heavy “federal artillery” could get involved in this.



Vladimir Putin:

You know, the development of transport infrastructure is set by plan. The governors, the Russian Government and the Transport Ministry all come to me with such proposals.

It would hardly be viable to just take one project out of the general context. Of course, the bridge you mentioned is an important infrastructure project, because it contributes to the development of that region.

The railway leading to the ports along the Northern Sea Route, as you have said, is very important for us. This must be synchronised with the volume of shipment along this route, and the infrastructure must develop accordingly. We understand and consider this.



Dmitry Peskov:

Here is a seasoned journalist, Alexander Gamov.



Alexander Gamov:

Thank you very much.

Alexander Gamov, Komsomolskaya Pravda website, radio and newspaper.

Mr Putin, you said you were writing an article on international affairs for Victory Day. Can we count on printing it? You can give it to Komsomolskaya Pravda and we will print it. We have a large circulation.



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, of course.





Alexander Gamov:

Good, thank you very much. I will take you up on that.

Here is my question. Someone already mentioned here that you became Acting President on December 31, 1999, and spent two decades on the post of President. I do not think there will be a separate news conference dedicated to this.



Vladimir Putin:

No, you are mistaken; I was Prime Minister for four years.



Alexander Gamov:

Prior to that, on August 9.



Vladimir Putin:

No, why? You left out the period when I headed the Government.



Alexander Gamov:

Do you want to subtract this period?



Vladimir Putin:

The head of state and the head of government are different positions and different responsibilities.



Alexander Gamov:

I meant that 20 years ago you were appointed Acting President.



Vladimir Putin:

And?



Alexander Gamov:

Can you share with us the most positive and the most negative moments in your life as President? This is my first question.

The second question is that sooner or later, we will have to come up with a so-called power transition formula. Could you make us part of it, so that we do not run into a surprise?



Vladimir Putin:

You could be one of the candidates. Of course. Why not?



Alexander Gamov:

Who can it be, in your opinion? How can all this happen? You are unlikely to want to change the Constitution, and we do not want to let you go.

My last question is that you mentioned the notion of a historical figure. Can Vladimir Putin already be called a historical figure?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

It is up to the next generations to give an answer to that question. I do not think that we, contemporaries, especially I personally, should be answering this question. In the future, the people will evaluate what has been done for the country, and maybe something has not been done. I think that public opinion is the best measure here. It will give the evaluation in the future.

With regard to the most outstanding and difficult events, I already mentioned them: the most difficult are the major terrorist attacks in Beslan (I will never forget that) and Dubrovka.

And the most striking, the most significant ones… We have been talking a lot about the need to raise the real incomes of the population, however, we have not completely solved the issue of poverty. I think we had the lowest level in 2014 – 11.3 percent of the total population, of the country’s citizens.

The number has grown a little since then; the figures are not so noticeable but there are real people behind them. So this is the most important issue we have to resolve.

But overall, I want to say that in general if we look at what the country was like back in the early 2000s and what it is now – these are almost two different countries. I am not even talking about security issues.

Truth be told, we must call things by their names: until 2006 there were combat hostilities – combat! – in the Caucasus with the use of tanks, aircraft and other heavy equipment. Do you understand? This is why I reacted so emotionally to the question at the meeting with human rights activists when a famous film director – whom I love and respect a lot – said, why do we not rewrite everything from the start.

You remember what I answered. We rewrote everything once in 1917, and we probably remember the lyrics – “We will destroy this world of violence down to the foundations, and then we will build our new world, he who was nothing will become everything.” And at present we are trying to identify the names of those who believed this, at the Butovo range and other sites of mass shootings. This is a very dangerous road.

That is why we now have internal stability and confidence that the country will keep progressing in this stable manner. This is probably the main thing. The economy has changed radically. Yes, we do have many unresolved issues in the economy, very many, and the key one is increasing labour productivity and on this base increasing the economic growth rate.

Yet this is incomparable to what we had. We now have one of the lowest foreign debts in the world. And how much was it then? Inflation stands at 3.25. In the 1990s, it was 200 to 300 percent. Can you imagine? We have forgotten what it was like. This is a totally different economy.

This foundation will let us resolve issues of ensuring our security. Take the Armed Forces, what have they become now? And let us recall the public sentiment when officers had their caps swept off in public transport. Have we forgotten that too? But this is what we had, and quite recently too.

And then it turned out that the state cannot be without the armed forces. And I believe we are all proud of the level of our Armed Forces. They have become one of the world’s most hi-tech forces.

All this combined, in my view, is not my achievement alone but our common achievement. Because what the Russian people and other peoples of the Russian Federation went through from the 1990s to early 2000s can be called a feat in itself.





Dmitry Peskov:

Now our Japanese colleagues, Kyodo Tsushin. Here they are. Go ahead, please.



Hirofumi Sugizaki:

Thank you, Mr Peskov.

Good afternoon, Mr Putin. Hirofumi Sugizaki from Kyodo Tsushin Japanese news agency.

My question to you is not about the islands, but about your attitude, about your vision, your view of nuclear war. You mentioned that the US is reluctant, at least for now, to extend START-3. When this treaty expires, there will be nothing to deter us from a new arms race and, possibly, an upcoming nuclear war.

What do you think?



Vladimir Putin:

Curse the tongue that says it. An ‘upcoming nuclear war.’ What are you saying?



Hirofumi Sugizaki:

But nowadays we are seriously concerned, although we are well aware that you are trying hard to at least maintain the status quo, urging the United States to keep up the moratorium and so on. However, you often warn of a mirror response. This sounds very scary to me. I think that trying to win a nuclear war is unacceptable and morally undue. What do you think about this?

I understand that armies do need to periodically modernise their equipment and weapons, but still there is the concept of sufficiently reasonable. This concept should help maintain a strategic balance. I think that probably, someday, in the near future, you will come forth with a comprehensive peace initiative. Maybe you are considering an opportunity to do this from Hiroshima?

Please, as I represent Japan, I will never be forgiven if I do not ask you about it. Recently, our peace treaty talks came to a standstill. One of the reasons for this is Russia’s concern about the Security Treaty between the US and Japan. You have repeatedly spoken out on this subject, so I will not repeat or go into any detail. Recently, because the INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty) has expired, this has affected our relations because you have repeatedly said that the United States and Japan are discussing the possibility of deploying such missiles in Japan. On the other hand, you told us in Sochi that you are helping China to develop a unique early warning system. So we get the impression that Russia and China already have if not a military alliance, very close allied relations in the military technical field, as you put it. Please tell me if a block confrontation is already emerging with Northeast Asia – with Japan, the US and South Korea on the one hand, and Russia and China on the other.

And in this current situation, is it possible for us – Japan and Russia – to find a compromise for mutual understanding, for mutual trust, so that we could sign a peace treaty in the future? Thank you very much.



Vladimir Putin:

As for military cooperation between Japan and the United States, you have right now practically answered this question yourself. We are not the ones who said that the United States was in negotiations with Japan over the deployment of its medium-range missiles. This news was reported by Japanese and American sources. How can we possibly fail to ignore this, including in the context of the islands issue? Are there any guarantees that tomorrow new American offensive weapon systems will not be deployed on these islands? Where are these guarantees? There is no way we could fail to discuss this subject. It seems to me that elementary formal logic suggests this.

Could we still be looking for a solution? We could. And we are doing this jointly with the current Japanese authorities. We have good trust-based relations with them and we are discussing all this in detail and honestly. Have we found a solution? Not yet. But, most importantly, I also spoke about this, we want to find one. This can be any solution. As I already mentioned some time ago, and my Japanese friends liked it, this should be a hikiwake – a draw – which is a term used in judo.

Is it possible to find a solution that the public will agree with? We have been looking for it for 70 years and have not found it yet. But we are ready to move further in this direction.

As for alliances, we do not have a military alliance with China and we do not plan to create one. But we see that East Asia is seeking to forge a military alliance, as well as some other countries, you have just named them all – the United States, Japan and South Korea – and we believe this to be counter-productive, as this does not bode well.

We are developing cooperation with China in the field of defence technology, among other things. Today, China is also a high-technology country but there are certain projects that take up a great deal of time to implement. I believe China is capable of creating a missile early warning radar system on its own but, with our help, it will do this faster. This system will add new quality to the defence capability of our strategic partner.

But this is not an offensive weapons system. You named it correctly and I was really surprised when you did so – surprised to hear you refer to it correctly. This is a missile early warning radar system, which means the system works when you are being attacked. It is true that this is a purely defensive system and so far, only the United States and Russia have systems like this. I would like to repeat that this system does not encourage aggression and is intended to protect one’s own territory.

Let us ask another of your colleagues – from the BBC. They are so fond of us, we really should give them the floor. I am eagerly anticipating your question. Please, go ahead.





Steve Rosenberg:

I am Steve Rosenberg from BBC News.

Mr President, Boris Johnson said different things about you. At one time, he called you a merciless tyrant. He even compared you with Dobby from a Harry Potter book. What do you think of him? What is your impression of him? How do you think relations between our countries – the UK and Russia – will change after Brexit?

Now that people in the UK are waiting for the parliamentary report on Russia’s alleged interference in political processes in the country to be released, we hope, maybe, you will tell us all about it. Has Russia interfered or is it interfering in UK policy? Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Regarding statements by different politicians in various countries about Russia and about myself as the head of state, you see, I have long got used to having a certain attitude towards them. What kind of attitude is it? I know where my country’s interests lie. And whatever anyone might say to me, it has absolutely no relevance compared to the fundamental tasks Russia is interested in solving. (Applause.)

Nevertheless, we see, understand, hear and factor this in in our work. But I would like to make a small remark. It is one matter when a person speaks as he is striving for a position of power, and a different matter when he speaks being vested with that power. He has on his shoulders a responsibility for his country, the economy and so forth.

I think that with account of Brexit, which you mentioned, Great Britain is interested in developing economic ties with us. This view is also expressed by UK businesspeople who work in Russia and whom we consider to be our friends, not just partners but friends. Because they are investors who come, invest money in our economy and create jobs. We appreciate it and do everything to support them so that they can feel at home here.

Are there any other areas of common interest? There are. Quite recently we discussed with some European colleagues the possibility of engaging Britain in solving and discussing issues on the international agenda that have been voiced here too. I will not list them again. And Britain is interested in having a more active part in resolving them, including with Russia.

Regarding interference or non-interference. We keep on hearing numerous assessments of the developments in Russia from official bodies of power in different countries, including the UK. You yourself spoke about that now. Is that interference or not? You express your position on what is going on in our country. We reserve the right to behave similarly with regard to you. If you think it is interference, keep thinking it. But I do not believe it has anything to do with interference.

Concerning what is happening now. We can congratulate Mr Johnson as he is ultimately the winner. He had a better grasp of the sentiments in British society than his rivals, and that is why he won. I understand he is set to pursue all his plans regarding Brexit.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62366
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 21st, 2019 #36
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference - PART III



The news conference was broadcast live by Rossiya-1, Rossiya-24, Channel One, NTV television channels, as well as radio stations Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii.



December 19, 2019 - 16:20 - Moscow







Dmitry Peskov:

There was a question about agriculture here at the very top. Raise your hand, please. Go ahead.



Vladimir Putin:

Siberia.



Marina Sevostyanova:

Good afternoon, Mr President. Agriculture.



Vladimir Putin:

Where are you?



Marina Sevostyanova:

I am here, in the centre. Svetich Agrarian Media Holding. My name is Marina Sevostyanova. We have been participating in the news conference since 2007 and we always try to ask questions related to our sector, agriculture. In 2007, we were the first to bring over a poster with our name. As you see, the tradition took on.

Our question is the following. The readers of our magazine Niva Rossii and the newspaper Agrozhizn are concerned about the issues of support for upgrading the fleet of farm equipment.

Which priorities can you name? For example, the 1432 Programme is about subsidies for machine builders, federal leasing and cheap loans. Will financing be added? Is it possible to keep in place the instruments in this area for the next few years, since they are quite effective anyway? Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

I will not enumerate all these instruments because you spoke so confidently about this, which may mean that you know all of them. I believe we should use leasing more actively. It is a flexible instrument that allows our farmers to work on the domestic market and to promote their products abroad.

There are certain benefits, including within the framework of these instruments, such as the protection of our producers on the market, especially when it comes to purchasing under national programmes. We will definitely preserve these instruments.

Some of our EAEU partners aspire to become part of these state-subsidised acquisition programmes. In fact, this is partly taking place, but we nevertheless believe that domestic producers must have certain advantages. You know already about these advantages. Russian producers stand to gain even if prices go up a notch.

Some sectors use the ‘odd man out’ rule – I will not waste time trying to explain it; I believe it is clear to everyone. In other words, all these programmes, come what may, will definitely continue; none of them will be curtailed. In terms of support, the biggest allocations go to agriculture, including agricultural engineering.



Dmitry Peskov:

Mr President, it has been three and a half hours.





Vladimir Putin:

I can see over there “Siberia Is Suffocating.”



Yekaterina Nadolskaya:

Good afternoon, Mr President. Yekaterina Nadolskaya, Russia News. I am from Siberia, but I live in St Petersburg now. First of all, I would like to thank you for the Universiade. It was unbelievable, our athletes are the best. Even despite the ill-wishers throwing mud at us, we have proved that we are the very best.

However, I would like to say a few words about life after the Universiade. As you know, Krasnoyarsk Territory is top of the list when it comes to air pollution.



Vladimir Putin:

The city of Krasnoyarsk, not Krasnoyarsk Territory.



Yekaterina Nadolskaya:

Yes, Krasnoyarsk, but the people of Krasnoyarsk Territory are not breathing easily either. They were suffocating from smoke from the forest fires last summer, but they are also choking due to toxic smog all year round. You probably felt it when you visited the Universiade.



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, I did.



Yekaterina Nadolskaya:

You are aware then that many factories are located within city limits in Krasnoyarsk. People hold demonstrations to point out that they are suffocating, many die – a third cancer centre is being built in Krasnoyarsk, yet the authorities do not seem to see the problem. Will any measures be taken to prevent a repetition of last summer’s inferno?

Since I live in St Petersburg, I would like to ask you about the Botkin Hospital. Dmitry Medvedev said recently that doctors should not have to practice in a barn. What is the Botkin Hospital, which is situated in the city centre and which the authorities have been promising to repair for several years now, if not a barn? Here are some pictures: broken glass, mice and cockroaches. And the doctors who are trying to help people there are paid 25,000–30,000 rubles. The authorities have promised to reconstruct the hospital, but nothing is being done. There is no infrastructure, only swans made of old car tires. And this is in the centre of the city. Foreigners love to take photos against these swans. Can anything be done to change this? We are talking about the centre of St Petersburg. Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

I know that the situation there is not good, dismal even. I do not know about the specific renovation plans for the Botkin Hospital. It is one of the oldest medical institutions in the city, I am well aware of this. I will definitely talk to the Governor about it. But I do not know whether the Botkin Hospital is included in one of our projects that we talked about today, as a primary care institution, or as part of the development of healthcare as a whole under the National Project. But I assure you, I will certainly discuss the situation with the Governor.

In addition to this hospital, St Petersburg has other world-class medical centres like, for example, the Almazov Centre. But this does not mean that, while respecting those who work at the Almazov centre, we can neglect those institutions where the situation is less favourable. I will definitely talk to my colleagues about it, I promise you. This is the first point.

The second concerns the environmental situation in Siberia and several other regions. Yes, indeed, the situation there is far from perfect.

As for the wildfires, we have indeed had a lot this year. What is worse, they occur in such places, I have to say, where it is very difficult to fight them: to begin with, it is an over 600-kilometre flight. Do you see what we have to deal with? It is a vast country. But the smoke emanates from there, and with the wind blowing in the direction of big cities, it easily reaches the cities, and it is hard to do anything about it.

Unfortunately, as a rule, all these fires are provoked by human activity; they are the result of illegal logging or even legal activities, where people believe they need to dispose of some industrial waste this way. Even in everyday life, people often burn grass, leaves, and so on. We need to work more often and more purposefully with people on this subject to prevent such situations.

We also need to improve the forest protection system, and we will do it now. We will partly transfer these responsibilities to the federal level, including, first of all, air-based forest protection, control and forest management – these functions will be returned to the federal level.

Incidentally, although forests take up a large area in Russia in per hectare terms, we are not the champions in this respect, ranking third after Canada and the United States. This does not mean we are doing so well – the problem is still there, but I mean it is typical for many countries, Russia included. Last year, we finally curbed some of the last wildfires in December, but in February, they flared up in other places – we have to do it non-stop, unfortunately, and this problem also has to do with climate change, among other factors. I spoke about this at the beginning of our meeting.

As regards environmental problems, you know that we are implementing – we have adopted a law on introducing modern technologies, something called BAT – the best available technology. At the first stage, 300 enterprises that have the greatest negative impact on the environment are required to adopt appropriate renovation programmes. This work is ongoing; 12 companies have had their programmes approved. Their effort has been recognised as meeting the requirements. I know this is not enough. The remaining companies of those 300, with the biggest emissions, will continue working on it.

Dedicated programmes were adopted for the twelve cities that face the most appalling conditions, including Krasnoyarsk. In these locations, industrialists will have to defend their development plans. The heads of the corresponding regions are also expected to play a role in this process.

There should be a plan of this kind for Krasnoyarsk as well. Let me assure you that we are keeping this matter on our radars, and we will work hard on it. This will be one of the national priorities in the near future.



Dmitry Peskov:

I suggest that we turn to Tatarstan. You have recently visited this republic.





Vladimir Putin:

Let us have a question on veterans.



Dmitry Peskov:

A question on veterans and then Tatarstan.



Sergei Komkov:

Mr Putin,

We are now preparing to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory. As you are well aware, this is a major celebration.



Dmitry Peskov:

May I ask you to please introduce yourself?



Sergei Komkov:

Sergei Komkov, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper President, and also President of the National Education Foundation, and your authorised representative during the 2000 election campaign.

I have just returned from Krasnodar Territory where our newspaper carried out a journalistic investigation on the situation regarding veterans of the Great Patriotic War, including disabled war veterans. We unearthed horrendous facts about the conditions these veterans live in in Krasnodar Territory in general and specifically in Sochi.

Sochi built special retirement homes for veterans to mark the 60th anniversary of Victory. Today, these buildings have turned into slums or poorhouses. Veterans live there as if they were homeless, and the buildings are falling apart. Today, the city authorities are not only neglecting these properties, but also use them to their advantage. They earn money by housing outsiders there, which means that they operate a profitable business, while the veterans are suffering.

They came to the President newspaper’s editorial office and complained about their lives. At the same time, the city administration in Sochi is demolishing buildings that are well-built and in good condition, simply destroying them, while developers and investors in the city are saying, “We are ready to provide veterans with marvellous, well-equipped flats in these buildings, including disabled war veterans, while it would make more sense demolishing the slums in order to make room for new housing.”

In doing so, the city authorities in Sochi are referring to your instructions. I told locals who came to see me at my Editorial Office as Editor-in-Chief that I would never believe that the President of Russia could issue an instruction that would be at odds with the Constitution, defy common sense and run counter to the interests of veterans, including disabled war veterans. I think that you would agree with me.

I believe that it is high time that order be restored and high-handed officials in Sochi and Krasnodar Territory in general be brought to their senses.

Second, Mikhail Shchetinin’s unique school has been closed down and is about to be liquidated in Krasnodar Territory. You supported this institution back in 2010 when you issued an instruction to this effect. This is one of the best schools Russia has in terms of teaching patriotic values to the new generation of Russians. This school was part of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network.

This school is being destroyed by officials from Krasnodar Territory’s Education Ministry, with support from the federal Education Ministry. They literally hounded Mikhail Shchetinin to death. He passed away on November 10, and now they are destroying his school. Russian Federation Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova and all the human rights activists have become involved in this process.



Dmitry Peskov:

Would you be so kind, your question, please?



Sergei Komkov:

My question is simple. Is it not high time we put an end to all the outrages perpetrated by Krasnodar officials and put things right over there. For our part, we, as journalists, will monitor this process. The results of our journalistic investigation have been submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office and the investigative agencies. And we will send them to you so that relevant measures are taken.

Mr Putin, I think we must put things right and do whatever we can for our veterans and those who educate our future rising generations, future patriots of our country, so that they do not suffer from outrages committed by officials, whom you rightly described at the 19th Congress of the United Russia party as certain elements, who should be got rid of at the right time. Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Outrages, if they occur somewhere, must be eliminated, and not only in Krasnodar Territory, but wherever they occur, everywhere.

As for the veterans’ homes you have mentioned, I certainly know nothing about it. I do not interfere in city development projects, even in such big and interesting cities as Sochi. I simply know nothing about this. This is why you were right in saying that I am ignorant of this matter.

At the same time, I will make a point of talking about it with Venyamin Kondratyev, the Governor of Krasnodar Territory, and I will discuss the school with him as well – what is happening there. It is, of course, the first time I hear about it, too.

Well, as for cutting short outrages in Sochi, I think this is quite possible and must be done as soon as possible, if there are any violations, especially with regard to veterans and especially ahead of the 75th anniversary of Victory. We have replaced the mayor there quite recently and an entirely new person has stepped in. We will certainly instruct him based on your materials, thank you very much for this.

There is a woman sitting quietly over there, “Building Bridges.”





Sergei Komkov:

Mr Putin, do you remember when you were running for President, you published an article titled “In the First Person?” Later I wrote a book titled In the Third Person. Notes by the President’s Authorised Representative. I would like to give it to you.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you very much. They will take it now.

Please, what bridges are you building? Please, pass on the microphone.



Olga Fedorova:

Good afternoon.

Samara State Television and Radio Company. My name is Olga Fedorova.

It is common knowledge that rivers divide, while bridges make us closer. A project to build a bridge across the Volga near Klimovka in Samara Region has been launched quite recently. You have supported this project. The bridge is being built from Klimovka on one side to Togliatti, on the other. We understand what this means for Samara. It is part of the Europe-Western China international transport corridor. In general, how will this project influence interstate cooperation?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

It will influence it in the best possible way, because, despite growing trade with China, despite the fact that we have the biggest volume of trade with our fraternal – in the direct sense of the word – republics of the former USSR and now independent states, infrastructure development is clearly inadequate.

I have already commented on this: we have, regrettably, fallen behind our friends in Kazakhstan. They have built their stretch of the road to China. We must do our part of the job. And we will certainly do it, including with regard to the bridge you have mentioned.

The “Heroes of Byelorussia” are over there. Let us go back to this, especially since we have just talked about the 75th anniversary of Victory. Go ahead, please.



Ivan Afanasyev:

Good afternoon, Mr President.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to ask this question. First of all, I would like to thank you…



Dmitry Peskov:

Could you introduce yourself, please?



Ivan Afanasyev:

Ivan Afanasyev, I represent Selmashevets from Gomel, Belarus.



Dmitry Peskov:

What is your media outlet?





Ivan Afanasyev:

Selmashevets is what the newspaper is called, it is affiliated with the Gomselmash holding company, which hopes to continue its work on the Russian market. I believe there will be enough work for both our friends from Rostov and for Gomselmash.



Vladimir Putin:

Incidentally, our friends, Belarusian producers, sell a lot of their equipment on the Russian market, and Rostselmash is unable to sell even one piece of farming machinery on the Belarusian market.



Ivan Afanasyev:

Mr President, there is a universal solution that has not been made public yet. My father headed the Gomselmash production association for 15 years, from 1972 until 1987. And today’s Gomselmash, as you know it, is the result of his work. If you do not mind, we will send this proposal to the executive offices of the Belarusian and Russian Presidents.



Vladimir Putin:

Please, send it to them and to us.



Ivan Afanasyev:

But, first of all, allow me to thank you for your history-making decision of February 2018, when you signed an executive order on awarding the Order of Zhukov to Major General Alexander Lizyukov, Commander of the 5th Tank Army, who is my grandfather. Thank you very much for this.



Vladimir Putin:

Congratulations on your grandfather, you have good genes.



Ivan Afanasyev:

Thank you, Mr President.



Vladimir Putin:

Is that all?





Ivan Afanasyev:

I have not finished yet.



Vladimir Putin:

Let the colleague say, please.



Ivan Afanasyev:

Mr President, first of all, allow me to invite you to the city of Gomel, where a monument to Alexander Lizyukov and his two brothers was unveiled this year. This is the result of citizens’ diplomacy. We create these monuments when monuments are being desecrated outside Belarus and Russia, and when false heroes are being placed on the pedestal.

I know that you must visit Belarus, which probably sustained the greatest casualties during World War II in percentage to the population. And I strongly hope that you and Alexander Lukashenko will find time to pay tribute to the heroes of Gomel, those three brothers who gave their lives.

And here is another related question dealing with this matter. The public in Gomel Region and Voronezh Region have suggested holding a regional meeting of the leaders of those regions in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, where the heroic Gomel residents fought.

The administration of Gomel Region supported this idea and initiative. The leaders of Moscow, St Petersburg, Smolensk and Novgorod Region made this proposal prior to unveiling the monument.

We will voice this initiative once again, but if you support it, I believe that it will become highly probable that this initiative will be implemented next year, when we will mark Alexander Lizyukov’s 120th birthday in March. We ask you to support this initiative. This is the first thing.

Second, allow me to present to you a book on Alexander Lizyukov. It will remind you of the person whom you brought back from historical oblivion. You have restored tremendous historical justice and reinstated this name in the great history of the Great Victory.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you. Let me have the book, please. Thank you for the book and for your initiative. We will certainly consider it.

That young woman over there, will you please stand up?



Dmitry Peskov:

Please give the book to the colleague who handed you the microphone.



Vladimir Putin:

Miss, take the microphone, please.

Wait a second, we will get to the Jews.





Dmitry Peskov:

The young woman in a yellow top, just raise your hand and stand still, and someone will come over to you.



Vladimir Putin:

Please, I am listening.



Farida Jafarova:

Hello, Mr Putin.

I am very nervous. You probably noticed my poster “Yekaterinburg loves You!”



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, I caught sight of it.



Farida Jafarova:

We desperately need a metro system.



Vladimir Putin:

Please, introduce yourself.



Farida Jafarova:

My name is Farida Jafarova, FREEPRESSA, a web edition.

Mr Putin, we need a metro system really badly. Please help us to build one.



Vladimir Putin:

Where?



Farida Jafarova:

In Yekaterinburg!

Please help us to build a second metro line.



Vladimir Putin:

Yekaterinburg is rapidly developing and emerging as an increasingly modern city. Of course, its infrastructure needs developing.

Some time ago now, it was decided that projects of this kind should be implemented based on regional capabilities and resources, but this is impossible. Therefore, these projects should be implemented jointly with the federal authorities and with federal support.

We were talking quite recently about similar plans to develop a metro system in Krasnoyarsk, where a metro system started to be built but subsequently the project was abandoned and frozen. As a first step, this must be done there, but I have no doubt that this type of transport will be of vital importance and popular in Yekaterinburg. What is really needed is to simply work with the authorities, the regional authorities, in the right manner. We will certainly do this.

It is hard to see. A question on women, please. You are next, all right? Settled.



Marina Volynkina:

I am Marina Volynkina, from the Eurasian Women’s Community.

Mr Putin, numerous women’s fora have been held in Russia and elsewhere in recent years. These in effect show the world the huge, constructive, powerful female energy that really exists and is supported by the leaders of many countries, including our own country.

A female G20 has been established. Valentina Matviyenko has held two Eurasian Women’s Forums. This is, of course, an astounding force, which shows that women are creating the economy and are implementing many striking social projects and initiatives.

But primarily, of course, women are making peace; I mean they are establishing the communications that are highly needed for you, men, to find it easier and more comfortable to pursue economic, political and social policies.

My question to you, Mr Putin, is this. As a strategist, politician and an incredible man with an astonishing charisma, do you think that a woman could at some point assume the office of the President of Russia? If you do, what qualities should she possess?

Thank you very much.



Vladimir Putin:

In terms of governance and responsibility for the country and its people, these requirements cannot be distinguished by some gender standards; the requirements are the same – competence, decency, and so on.

But women do introduce a certain feminine vibe into politics – less aggressive, I think. This will certainly be needed.



Dmitry Peskov:

Mr Putin, do you know what suggestion I have? I saw a journalist from Estonia around here.



Vladimir Putin:

Just a minute. I promised. Please bring the microphone over there.



Dmitry Peskov:

Please fetch the mike to the centre.





Vladimir Shakhidjanyan:

I can speak without a mike. Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Good.



Vladimir Shakhijanyan:

Good afternoon, Mr Putin.

My name is Vladimir Shakhijanyan.



Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, Mr Shakhijanyan.



Vladimir Shakhijanyan:

Half of this room are my pupils. Some of them were trained at the Moscow University’s School of Journalism, where I taught for 35 years, some were even using my method to make children, population… There was a multi-million print-run of…



Vladimir Putin:

Don’t we all use the same method? (Laughter)



Vladimir Shakhijanyan:

No, my book, One Thousand and One Questions about This, was published in a multi-million print-run. It is about culture, upbringing, that one child in a family is not enough, but two or three is fine.



Vladimir Putin:

Wonderful.



Vladimir Shakhijanyan:

I continue to receive many letters. I need your support.

And lastly, about my ten-finger typing programme called SOLO: Touch Typing Tutor. You spoke about labour efficiency and digitalisation. I am grateful to Mr Minnikhanov and Mr Gref. These two people have supported me and have introduced my programme in Tatarstan and at Sberbank.

Besides, I have three files of unbelievable cursory replies. As your namesake, Vladimir Mayakovsky, wrote, “I’d rip out bureaucracy’s guts.” I need your help, so that ministries and agencies, doctors, teachers, police officers and FSB staff take care of their eyes and learn touch typing – Mr Peskov knows about this programme, or at least he heard about it. This will improve labour efficiency five- or six-fold.

And lastly, I wrote a book, which is now available online, about giving up smoking. It is one of our biggest problems. We must fight smoking. Personally, I smoked for 55 years, but I quit 11 years ago. By the way, I was in Leningrad during the siege, I went to the Luch cinema in Baskov Lane, and I remember everything very well.



Vladimir Putin:

It is no coincidence that he is talking about this. I used to go there too.



Vladimir Shakhijanyan:

Of course.



Vladimir Putin:

I lived nearby.



Vladimir Shakhijanyan:

If we resolve the problem of tobacco smoking in the country, we will have fewer problems with cancer, pneumonia, blood and liver diseases, birth disorders, infertility and very many other problems, because smoking affects everything.

I tried Veronika Skvortsova. Mr Gref wrote to her asking her to meet with me.



Vladimir Putin:

What did you try to do with Ms Skvortsova?



Vladimir Shakhijanyan:

I tried to meet with her. You can see what I mean, which is nice. If you understand me, other people will probably understand me as well.

All the very best and thank you. Good luck and happiness.



Vladimir Putin:

Thank you very much.





Dmitry Peskov:

Let us go on. Mr President, I saw a journalist from Estonia here. Is he with us? Please, stand up. There was a journalist from Estonia. So, it is Sputnik. Sputnik is a media outlet that is being harassed in Estonia.



Vladimir Putin:

Harassed? Really?



Yelena Chernysheva:

Good afternoon.

Yes, Mr President, harassed. Two months ago, Sputnik Estonia became the target of an economic blockade. Citing sanctions, local banks prohibited all and any money transfers to the accounts of our staff and contractors, as well as to the tax department. The transfer of our taxes has been suspended, and the money cannot reach the addressee. Special services have talked with our leaseholder and forced him to terminate our lease contract.

And lastly, two days ago our personnel received letters from the police informing them that Rossiya Segodnya is on the sanctions list and that therefore all its personnel can be held criminally liable. We have been notified that sanctions will be applied to us, starting January 2, unless we terminate our employment contracts with Rossiya Segodnya.

I believe that this is unacceptable for a country that claims to be a democracy. I am asking you for help. What can the Russian state do for Russian journalists who are fighting against Western censorship? And, please, what is your assessment of the Estonian authorities’ actions?



Vladimir Putin:

Regrettably, there is not much we can do. I think that you are doing a great deal. The situation you have described cannot go unnoticed. When I hear about such events, I am at a loss what to think. Because while demonising us and accusing us of putting pressure on independent media outlets, they themselves are doing exactly what they are accusing us of doing. This is unbelievable cynicism.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you that acting on the state level and imposing restrictions and the like would be ineffective. All this would do is play into the hands of those who want to drive our countries and our peoples apart. We will not assist them in any way. As unpleasant as it may be, you have to find a way to work in countries that are afraid of your reporting, afraid of you and the truth that you deliver to your viewers and listeners. Otherwise, I do not see any reason for being afraid of your reporting or the influence you may have on the minds of the people.

Freedom of information is one of the fundamental freedoms in today’s democratic world. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to operate within this paradigm, guided by other rules that they write themselves.

There is nothing we can do about it. The world is complex and diverse. As far as we are concerned, we will do everything to support you no matter where you are, but we will use the available methods that do not interfere with Russia’s interstate relations.

We will see what else can be done here.



Dmitry Peskov:

Mr Putin, we have been working for four hours now. I suggest that we have two more questions before we wrap up.



Vladimir Putin:

Quiet please.

Let us have a question from the Land of Volunteers.



Laura Miziyeva:

Hello,

The AZERROS multi-ethnic project. My name is Laura, and I represent the My Yediny! [We Stand United] news portal.

Mr Putin, in 2020 Russia will mark National Unity Day for the 15th time. On this day, we celebrate the many generations of our ancestors who made it possible for us to come together on this day. What we have today is the legacy of our wise ancestors who sacrificed their lives to this cause. It is thanks to their efforts that today’s youth understands what it means to have a united country.

Mr Putin, thousands of people get a chance to attend a My Yediny! free concert titled on November 4 every year. It has been held for 15 years now. The kind words you said about our project at the Territory of Meanings forum was the most gratifying reward we could dream of. What could be better? Only your personal presence at the 15th annual concert we will have at the MTC-Arena next year. We also invite all the guests from this room to join us. You will see what the young people of Putin’s generation are capable of.

Here is my question: Mr Putin, what do you think about youth initiatives of this kind?

And, I almost forgot to ask you how we can arrange your visit. Who should we talk to?



Vladimir Putin:

Arrange what?



Laura Miziyeva:

Your visit.



Vladimir Putin:

The boss is here, you can talk to him.

We do support all initiatives of this kind and we will keep doing so. The volunteer movement is gaining momentum in Russia, with millions of people involved. This is simply incredible. As you well know, I have recently met with volunteers in Moscow. We will support this movement in every possible way, and in various areas. This includes veterans, helping veterans, sick children, ensuring that rights are respected in healthcare, construction and cleaning up territories.

For example, only recently, I think it was yesterday, we discussed this subject. Someone, I think it was the Russian Popular Front or some other organisation proposed cleaning up the banks of the Volga River. A million people showed up. They expected to have people in the tens of thousands, but almost a million came with 900,000 people cleaning up this territory. These are real efforts. We will definitely promote initiatives of this kind.

As for my schedule, you can ask him. Agreed?

There was a question on pensions, go ahead please.





Yulia Izmaylova:

Good afternoon.

Yulia Izmailova, Molodoi Leninets newspaper, Penza.

Mr Putin, pensioners are worried: the federal law on pensions stipulates indexation of benefits ahead of the inflation level only until 2024. What will happen after that? Who could guarantee them further indexation? Would Russia have to raise the retirement age again?



Vladimir Putin:

No. I have already said that no further increases in retirement age are planned or even discussed. As for the recent reform, it has not affected those people who are already retired in any way. The only way it had to do with them was the government’s effort to increase their incomes – pensions – faster. For example, next year, pensions are to grow by 6.6 percent, and inflation, as I said, is 3.25, for now at least. This means pensions will be indexed by a margin that is twice the inflation rate. This to a certain extent fulfils our earlier promises to retired Russians. And pensions will continue to be indexed after the period that you mentioned.



Dmitry Peskov:

There was Altai somewhere in the back. Altai, stand up, please, and raise your hand, you will be given the floor.

And no, we are not ignoring Daghestan.



Emina Kudachina:

I have this question. Good afternoon, Mr Putin. I am so nervous, I am sorry. I was told yesterday that issues that could not be streamlined in 30 years get resolved in 30 seconds here.

This is the question I have. There is only one school in one city in the Altai Republic for ethnic Altai children, where they are taught their native Altai language properly. The school was founded exactly 30 years ago, but it is housed in a rented building. They promise all the time that they will build a school, its own building, but it has not been done yet.

So, my question is actually a request. Please help us with the Altai school construction. Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

Do you mean the Altai Republic?



Emina Kudachina:

Yes.



Vladimir Putin:

The Altai language is classified as one of the most ancient Turkic languages. In fact, it largely formed the basis for all other Turkic languages. Not even largely, but almost by 100 percent. And in general, I think, we should pay much more attention to the study of ethnic cultures, customs, and languages. So if your school is dilapidated, especially a school that teaches an ethnic language, it is certainly unacceptable.

You just told me, help us save and restore the school. I promise you we will do it.



Dmitry Peskov:

This was the final question.



Vladimir Putin:

Please give the floor to that young woman standing with the Family poster.





Dmitry Peskov:

Please raise your hand, so that the staff would see you.



Farida Rustamova:

Good afternoon.

Thank you for this chance to ask my question.

My name is Farida Rustamova, and I am a correspondent with the BBC Russian Service.

Here is my question. Four years ago, when my colleagues asked you about your relationship to your younger daughter, Yekaterina Tikhonova, you said that your children “do not engage in business or politics, just keep a low profile”. But the situation has changed since then, to say the least.

The company Innopraktika, headed by Yekaterina Tikhonova and established by a state budgetary institution of Lomonosov Moscow State University, earned 500 million rubles in 2018.

Nomeko, a company in which your older daughter Maria Vorontsova has a stake, is currently building one of the largest clinics in Leningrad Region using Sogaz funding.

Your old friends, managers of state companies, are helping these two women with their business operations. We can see that television channels have started showing them very often. Everyone knows them and what they look like today. This is an open secret.

Here is my question: Tell me, please, when will you admit that they are your children, and when will they open themselves to society, just like the children of other world leaders?



Vladimir Putin:

You have just spoken about business-linked matters and mentioned one woman and another. You probably did not say everything. You mentioned their personal corporate stakes and the volume of this business. You said nothing and merely stated a fact. But this is not enough. You should delve into the matter, and you will realise what their real business is, whether there is any such business, who owns what, and who helps whom.

The question about Innopraktika came up a long time ago. This is the initiative of the Rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University. To the best of my knowledge, as Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, I can say that this is linked with a desire, an absolutely legal and correct desire of our higher education institutions to combine the capabilities of the national science and education system with the real needs of Russian producers and beneficiaries inside the Russian economy.

We often buy many goods abroad, including in the United Kingdom, goods that we can manufacture here. We should combine what can be generated here with the goods that our companies need while making certain purchases. In effect, Innopraktika and its entire activity deal with precisely this matter. This is the entire reason for establishing Innopraktika. It was Moscow State University that started all this.

They have many talented people who are ready to offer their innovations, but the Russian beneficiaries and business community need to find out about them, so that they would be able to take advantage of this. This is a link between science and education and the real economy. This is what they are doing. I strongly hope that they will succeed and achieve tangible results that all of us need.

Speaking of the second area, healthcare, as far as I know, their so-called share capital is now close to zero. But this is a highly interesting aspect linked with the use of cutting-edge medical technology at a time when the Russian population decreased by 260,000 in 2019. We consider these statistics to be unacceptable.

The Russian Federation prioritises everything linked with measures to reduce the mortality rate caused by external and domestic factors, and everything linked with the development of healthcare. I believe that we should only praise this work.

Over there, ‘Ethnic Issue’, go ahead, please.



Dmitry Kutyavin:

Good afternoon, Mr Putin.

My name is Dmitry Kutyavin, editorial director of the First Russian ethnic TV channel. The channel was established at the initiative of the Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations to support interethnic communication.

My question is as follows. Almost seven years ago, you published an article, Russia: Ethnic Matters. In your opinion, has anything changed in ethnic matters over those seven years? What is your assessment of the current inter-ethnic relations in Russia? Are there problems in specific regions?

And a second question, if I may. A year ago, after your annual news conference, you issued instructions to support the First Russian ethnic TV channel, in terms of both content and methodology. We would like to ask you to continue, as a follow up – a lot has been done over the year, and the Government is helping significantly, and our curators too – we would like to make more energetic forays into the regions so that they also get involved, and the regional leaders cooperate more with us. Could you help?

Thank you.



Vladimir Putin:

You just said you were getting help. Is this support not enough?

Interethnic relations in Russia are among the most important issues. We have mentioned here today the tragic events of the late 1990s – early 2000s, an actual civil war with active military operations in the Chechen Republic. How many people suffered then? That was also the result of unfavourable developments in the field of interethnic relations.

We know that, apart from the Caucasus, people in other regions that are constituent entities of the Federation also have in their historic memory unfair decisions such as deportations, when they were forcibly moved to places such as the steppes of Kazakhstan in cattle cars. How many people died on the way?

They have not forgotten. And that was also the result of interethnic relations. This is something we must do everything in our power to avoid, anything that might lead us to similar tragedies. It is very important.

The future generations of Russian politicians must also know that public opinion will not allow us to make any decisions that would destroy interethnic harmony. This is my first point.

Secondly, we will certainly support all entities – the media and public organisations – whose activity is aimed at smoothing out any disputes or relieving possible interethnic tension.

As you know, life is complex and diverse. Russia, too, has a complex structure, with so many ethnic groups living here. No wonder we forget about some things. Now, we are having disputes with Ukraine. There is a Ukrainian identity. Who shaped that identity? Count Pototsky, a prominent academic, researcher and author who first mentioned Ukrainians as a separate ethnic group.

However, other Polish studies later separated them even further, even removed them from among the Slavic peoples. They believed, they claimed that Ukrainians were the descendants of some nomadic peoples. But this is all complete nonsense, and we must know the truth. We must understand that some elements of a real ethnic identity emerged at some stage, and we must respect that. We are doing so and will continue doing so, especially domestically.

A journalist just mentioned problems with a school in Altai. Unfortunately, we do have many problems with the native languages of the peoples of Russia, with their cultures and customs. What kind of problems? We pay too little attention to this. And every person who lives in Russia should feel that this is their home, and they do not have any other home.

Thank you very much. I would like to wish you a Happy New Year. We definitely need to wrap this up now, we have taken so long.

Thank you.





* * *



Anton Zhelnov:

Mr President, can I ask just one last question about Kotov, please?



Vladimir Putin:

About what?



Anton Zhelnov:

I would like to ask about the ‘Moscow case’, and to ask you to take note of the case of Konstantin Kotov, who has been given a four-year sentence under the ‘Moscow case’. He did not violate any laws, yet he has been sentenced under the same article as Dadin.



Vladimir Putin:

I spoke with human rights activists when we met…



Anton Zhelnov:

They did not mention Kotov’s case.



Vladimir Putin:

Fine, I may look into it. I remember the name, Kotov.

Punishment for such violations is much harsher in many other countries. For example, unauthorised public actions, such as blocking the border, are punishable with up to 10 years in prison in some countries. Our sentences are much more lenient, although…



Anton Zhelnov:

Mr Putin, he did not threaten anyone or throw anything at anyone, that is the problem. He simply took part in a demonstration.



Vladimir Putin:

I am not talking about whether he threatened anyone or not. Maybe he did this many times before.

By the way, all legislation stipulates increased penalties for repeat offenders, with civil liability for first offenders and criminal punishment for repeat offenders.

Anyway, I will take a look at this.



Anton Zhelnov:

Will you take a look at his case, please?



Vladimir Putin:

Yes, I will. Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62366
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 24th, 2019 #37
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Gala evening marking Security Agency Worker’s Day



Vladimir Putin attended a gala evening hosted in the State Kremlin Palace to mark Security Agency Worker’s Day, celebrated in Russia on December 20.



December 19, 2019 - 18:45 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, comrade officers, veterans,

I am very glad to be with you today at the gala evening marking Security Agency Worker’s Day. And I want to warmly congratulate those present in this hall, all our colleagues, our comrades-in-arms on the upcoming professional holiday, the holiday of the strong, courageous … (Applause.) Yes, let us applaud ourselves.

This is the holiday of the strong, courageous people, people of character who protect Russia from internal and external threats, uphold its constitutional system and sovereignty, and defend the national interests of our state.





The requirements to your service have always been special. They include high skills, endurance, reliability, honour and integrity. It is these qualities, the constant readiness to spare no effort and to sacrifice your life for the sake of the Motherland, that have always distinguished the best employees of security agencies.

With their exploits and their heroism, they wrote many legendary, glorious pages in the annals of the history of both the special services and of our Fatherland, and made a great, invaluable contribution to the approach of the Great Victory, the 75th anniversary of which we will celebrate together in May next year.





Comrades,

Today, the efficient, quick and well-coordinated work of the security services has made it possible to achieve tangible success in ensuring the security of the Russian Federation. I would like to thank you and your colleagues for your professionalism, courage and resolve.

I would like to note that the number terrorist crimes prevented over the past few years has been growing. In all, 54 such crimes, including 33 terrorist attacks, have been thwarted since early 2019.

All of us realise that every prevented crime, every uncovered criminal plot and failed terrorist attack means that human lives have been saved.

Thanks to the professionalism of our security services, Russia hosted major international events without any incidents.





A lot has been done to make the work of security agencies much more open, to the extent it is possible. It is important that Russian citizens learn about previously unknown facts of Russian security services’ history, and they can see how you work today, and how difficult it is sometimes to achieve victories and successes. This openness guarantees greater trust towards your service and the much-needed support on the part of society.

We need to consolidate positive trends in the short-term work of the security services and to expand their operational, technical, analytical and HR potential. We must not slacken the intensity of our efforts in a number of areas; on the contrary, we must reinforce them, and this applies to counter-terrorist operations, first and foremost.

Terrorism is a treacherous and dangerous enemy, and efforts to fight it must be system-wide and resolute, with our National Anti-Terrorism Committee efficiently coordinating them. As I have repeatedly said, these efforts must focus on the prevention of terrorism and preventive offensive operations.





We must combat extremism more actively. The example of some foreign countries shows that this threat can be highly destructive for the state and society. Nor should we forget our recent regrettable historical experience. We must firmly and uncompromisingly thwart provocations, calls for violence, attempts to involve people, especially young people, in anti-social radical activities.

We must remember that extremism in any form threatens democracy, human rights and freedoms. These values and the safety of citizens must be reliably protected.

Of course, we must also expand our counter-intelligence operations and more effectively protect highly important information resources and the state border and act resolutely in the fight against corruption.





Friends,

I am confident that security service operatives will continue to work professionally and efficiently in the interests of our citizens and our Motherland.

I would like to once again congratulate you on the upcoming holiday and, of course, to wish you a Happy New Year.

My warmest wishes go to your families and friends, to all those who love you, who wait for you and who support you in difficult moments. I wish you good luck, happiness and sound health. Happy holiday!




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62370






Meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko



Vladimir Putin met with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko ahead of the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.



December 20, 2019 - 13:30 - St Petersburg







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President, friends,

We are happy to see you, this time in St Petersburg.

Today we have another important and pleasant event with our colleagues from integrational organisations.

Recently, on December 8, we marked the 20th anniversary of the Union Treaty. First of all I would like to note that although many things – we have spoken with you about this – have not been done under this treaty, there are significant results.





When we began this process, our bilateral trade was $9 billion. Today it amounts to $35.5. This is a significant result. Besides, there are issues resolved in the social spheres and people are getting good support.

And, of course, the experience we have acquired together, I mean between the two countries as part of this interstate building, is widely used in forming integrational organisations, such as the EAEU. So this also has a prolonged effect for us and our partners.

I know that our colleagues have been working actively since our previous meeting. We are very happy to see you so we can continue this discussion.





President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko:

Yes, Mr President, a lot has been accomplished.

For some reason, we do not always say what has been accomplished, and how much has been accomplished. True, we have accomplished a lot in the social sector, for our people, but we can also boast many economic achievements as well.

You mentioned the main statistics, namely, trade volumes, but we have established a common defense infrastructure, as well as one for the operation of our secret services that maintain contacts.

We have always stated that we have no questions for our diplomatic agencies, and we have a common border and a joint customs system in the west. Today, 110 million tonnes of freight are delivered from the east to the west and vice versa via Belarus.

We have a joint customs system, a common border, a joint air defence system, and Russia and Belarus have established a joint army group in the western sector.

Russia has no problems overflying Belarus, and we always provide decent air traffic control. Belarus and Russia have never had any disagreements on air traffic matters. Our airports in Moscow and Minsk and elsewhere function very efficiently. They also cooperate well with our regions.





In addition, as I have already mentioned to you, our company, Belarusneft, has resumed operations in Russia and already provides services to various companies. It not only reactivates old fields using various technologies; Belarusneft has been going strong since the Soviet era. It already produces oil in the Russian Federation together with other companies. In other words, there is huge progress in the economy.

Speaking of people, Belarus now buys Russian-made raw materials and components. Over ten million Russians work at Russian companies with which Belarusian companies maintain contacts. Speaking of families, we usually multiply by four. Just imagine, how many people are involved in our mutual trade and joint co-production arrangements.

Therefore, generally speaking, we have not drifted far away from each other in economic, political and social terms after the breakup of the Soviet Union. This, too, is a major achievement of this Treaty. We have failed to implement its provisions, but we have not drifted away completely, as is the case in Russia’s relations with other former Soviet republics, and not just the three Baltic states and Ukraine. This is what we have accomplished in the past few years.

As you have noted correctly, we have a lot of work to do.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62373






Meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council



December 20, 2019 - 16:00 - St Petersburg







Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, First President of Kazakhstan and Honorary Chairman of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov held a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. President of Moldova Igor Dodon also attended the meeting in expanded format.











The participants discussed the current issues concerning the activities of the Eurasian Economic Union and outlined tasks for further deepening cooperation. A package of documents was signed following the meeting.











In particular, they signed the Directive On Work on the Draft Strategic Directions for Eurasian Economic Integration Development until 2025 and resolutions on the Chairman and composition of the Eurasian Economic Commission Board.











Other documents concern the pensions of workers in the EAEU member states, lifting barriers to the operation of the EAEU domestic market, liberalisation of some service sectors within the EAEU, establishing a common electricity market in the EAEU and some administrative issues.











In addition, they reviewed the work of the Eurasian Economic Commission during the past four years. Mikhail Myasnikovich, Speaker of the Council of the Republic of Belarus, the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament, will take over the post EEC Board Chairman from Tigran Sargsyan.











During the meeting, Vladimir Putin awarded Tigran Sargsyan with the Order of Friendship to note his contribution to the development of the EAEU.








In 2020, the rotating Presidency of the EAEU will pass from Armenia to Belarus.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62374
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 24th, 2019 #38
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

CIS informal summit



An informal CIS summit took place in St Petersburg.



December 20, 2019 - 17:00 - St Petersburg







The summit was attended by Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, first President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov, President of Moldova Igor Dodon, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Vladimir Putin told the participants about the archive materials on the pre-history of World War II and invited them to tour a specially organised exhibit.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues, I am very happy to see you. I would like to welcome you once again, in this “very extended” format of CIS heads of state.

We have resolved on events dedicated to the end of the Great Patriotic War between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and the Victory of the Soviet Union.

Let me stress that for all of us, and I know you agree, it is a special date because our fathers and grandfathers sacrificed a lot to our Fatherland, our common Fatherland back then. In fact, every family in the former Soviet Union in one way or another suffered from what happened with our country and the world.

We have discussed this many times both formally and informally and decided to work together on the eve of the 75th anniversary. I would like to share some of my thoughts on this.

I was surprised, even somewhat hurt by one of the latest European Parliament resolutions dated September 19, 2019 “on the importance of preserving historical memory for the future of Europe.” We, too, have always strived to ensure the quality of history, its truthfulness, openness and objectivity. I want to emphasise once again that this applies to all of us, because we are to some extent descendants of the former Soviet Union. When they talk about the Soviet Union, they talk about us.

What does it say? According to this paper, the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (the foreign ministers of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany), as they write further, divided Europe and the territories of independent states between two totalitarian regimes, which paved the way for World War II. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact ‘paved the way to WWII…’ Well, maybe.

In addition, the European parliamentarians are demanding that Russia stop its efforts aimed at distorting historical facts and promoting the thesis that Poland, the Baltic countries and the West really started the war. I do not think we have ever said anything like this, or that any of the above countries were the perpetrators.

Where is the truth after all? I decided to figure this out and asked my colleagues to check the archives. When I started reading them, I found something that I think would be interesting for all of us, because, again, we all come from the Soviet Union.





Here is the first question. We talk about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact all the time. We repeat this after our European colleagues. This begs the question: was this the only document signed by one of the European countries, back then the Soviet Union, with Nazi Germany? It turns out that this is not at all the case. I will simply give a list of them, if I may.

So, the Declaration on the Non-use of Force between Germany and Poland. This is, in fact, the so-called Pilsudski-Hitler Pact signed in 1934. In essence, this is a non-aggression pact.

Then, the Anglo-German maritime agreement of 1935. Great Britain provided Hitler with an opportunity to have his own Navy, which was illegal for him or, in fact, reduced to a minimum following World War I.

Then, the joint Anglo-German declaration of Chamberlain and Hitler signed on September 30, 1938, which they agreed upon at Chamberlain’s initiative. It said that the signed ‘Munich Agreement, as well as the Anglo-German maritime agreement symbolise…’ and so on. The creation of a legal framework between the two states continued.

That is not all. There is the Franco-German Declaration signed on December 6, 1938 in Paris by the foreign ministers of France and Germany, Bonnet and Ribbentrop.

Finally, the treaty between the Republic of Lithuania and the German Reich signed on March 22, 1939 in Berlin by the foreign minister of Lithuania and Ribbentop to the effect that Klaipeda Territory will reunite with the German Reich.

Then, there was the Nonaggression Treaty between the German Reich and Latvia of June 7, 1939.

Thus, the Treaty between the Soviet Union and Germany was the last in a line of treaties signed by European countries that seemed to be interested in maintaining peace in Europe. Also, I want to note that the Soviet Union agreed to sign this document only after all other avenues had been exhausted and all proposals by the Soviet Union to create a unified security system, in fact, an anti-Nazi coalition in Europe were rejected.





In this connection, I am asking you to take a few minutes to return to the origins, to the very beginning, which I find very important. I suggest beginning, as they say, from ‘centre field’, as they say, I mean from the results from World War I, from the Versailles Peace conditions written in the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

For Germany, the Treaty of Versailles became a symbol of blatant injustice and national humiliation. In fact, it meant robbing Germany. I will give you some numbers, because they are very interesting.

Germany had to pay the Triple Entente countries (Russia left the winners and did not sign the Treaty of Versailles) an astronomical sum of 269 billion golden marks, the equivalent of 100,000 tonnes of gold. For comparison, I would say the gold reserves as of October 2019 are 8,130 tonnes in the US, 3,370 tonnes in Germany and 2,250 tonnes in Russia. And Germany had to pay 100,000 tonnes. At the current price of gold of $1,464 for a troy ounce, the reparations would be worth about $4.7 trillion, while the German GDP in 2018 prices, if my data are correct, is only $4 trillion.

Suffice it to say that the last payments of 70 million euros were made quite recently, on October 3, 2010. Germany was still paying for World War I on the 20th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany.

I believe, and many, including researchers, agree that the so-called spirit of Versailles created an environment for a radical and revanchist mood. The Nazis were actively exploiting Versailles in their propaganda promising to relieve Germany of this national shame, so the West gave the Nazis a free hand for revenge.

For reference, I can say that the man behind the French victory in World War I, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the French commander, spoke about the results of the Treaty of Versailles and once uttered a famous prophecy, I quote: “This is not peace. It is an armistice for twenty years.” He was right even about the time.

US President Woodrow Wilson warned that giving Germany reason to avenge one day would be a big mistake. The internationally renowned Winston Churchill wrote that the economic articles of the treaty were vicious and stupid to the point of being clearly meaningless.





The Versailles world order gave rise to many conflicts and disagreements. They are based on the borders of new states arbitrarily drawn up in Europe by the winners of World War I. That is, the borders were reshaped. This created conditions for the so-called Sudeten crisis. Sudetenland was part of Czechoslovakia where the German population lived. Here is a reference document about the Sudeten crisis and the ensuing so-called Munich Conference.

In 1938, 14 million people lived in Czechoslovakia, of which 3.5 million were ethnic Germans. On September 13, 1938, a rebellion broke out there, and Great Britain immediately proposed talking to Hitler and appeasing him in order to keep the peace. I will not bore you with the details of the correspondence and talks, but they led to the signing of the well-known Munich agreement.

To reiterate, we used some archive materials. I want to explain some of them. We have an encrypted message from the Soviet Plenipotentiary Envoy to France to the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Litvinov dated May 25, 1938, about a confidential conversation with French Prime Minister Daladier.

I will read an excerpt, as it is an interesting document. “Prime Minister of France, Eduard Daladier, has devoted the past several days to clarifying Poland’s position.” This refers to the Munich Agreement, as a result of which Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovak territory, was supposed to go to Germany. ‘The probe in Poland gave an utterly negative result,’ the Prime Minister of France said. “Not only can we not rely on Polish support, but there is no certainty that Poland will not stab us in the back.” Contrary to Polish assurances, Daladier does not believe in the Poles’ loyalty, even if Germany were to directly attack France. He demanded a clear and unambiguous answer from the Poles as to whose side they are on in peace and in war. In this regard, he asked the Polish ambassador to France, Juliusz Łukasiewicz, a number of direct questions. He asked him if the Poles would let Soviet troops pass through their territory. Łukasiewicz said no. Daladier then asked if they would let Soviet planes fly across their territory. Łukasiewicz said the Poles would open fire on them. When Łukasiewicz said no to the question of whether Poland would come to the rescue if after a German attack on Czechoslovakia (there was an agreement on mutual assistance between France and Czechoslovakia)… Germany declares war on France. The Polish representative said no. Daladier said he saw no reason in a Franco-Polish alliance and the sacrifices that France is making as part of it.“

So what does this mean? It means the Soviet Union was ready to help Czechoslovakia, which Nazi Germany was going to rob. But the agreement between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia stated that the Soviet Union would do this only if France fulfilled its obligations to Czechoslovakia. France linked its aid to Czechoslovakia to support from Poland. But Poland refused to provide it.

The following document is this document No. 5 in front of me, which I have just spoken about. Let us go ahead. The sixth document.

What did the Polish authorities do when Germany began to claim part of Czechoslovak territory? They also laid claim to their part of the “prey” during the partitioning of Czechoslovak territory and demanded that a certain part of Czechoslovakia be transferred to them. Moreover, they were ready to use force. They formed a special military group called ‘Silesia,’ which included three infantry divisions, a cavalry brigade and other units.





There is also a specific document from the archives. From a report from a commander of the Silesia Independent Operation Group, a Mr Bortnowski on preparations for the offensive operation, the capture of Tesin Silesia and the training of troops, the Polish authorities trained and sent militants to Czechoslovakia to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks and actively prepare for the partitioning and occupation of Czechoslovakia.

The next document is a record of a conversation between German Ambassador to Poland Mr Moltke and Polish Foreign Minister, Mr Beck. In this document, Polish Foreign Minister Beck spoke directly about this, I quote: “In the areas claimed by Poland, there will be no conflict with German interests.” Therefore, there will be a division of Czechoslovak territory.

Immediately after the Munich Agreement was concluded on September 30, 1938, Warsaw, having imitated in fact Nazi methods, sent an ultimatum to Prague with an unconditional claim for part of the territory of Czechoslovakia – Tesin Silesia. France and Great Britain did not support Czechoslovakia, which forced it to yield to this violence. Simultaneously with Germany, which annexed Sudetenland, Poland began a direct seizing of Czechoslovak territory on October 1, 1938, thereby violating the agreement it had previously concluded with Czechoslovakia.

The next document tells about the final agreement to set the border between Poland and Czechoslovakia. Here is what this is about: on July 28, 1920, with the arbitration of the Triple Entente, Poland and Czechoslovakia signed the so-called final border agreement, which gave the western part of Czechoslovakia’s Cieszyn Region to the Czechs and the eastern part to Warsaw. Both parts officially recognised and, more importantly, guaranteed their shared border.

Of course, Poland understood that without Hitler’s support all attempts to seize part of Czechoslovakia were doomed to fail. In this context, I would like to cite a very interesting document: a recorded conversation between German Ambassador in Warsaw Hans-Adolf von Moltke and Josef Beck about Polish-Czech relations and the USSR’s position on this from October 1, 1938.

The German ambassador reports to his superiors in Berlin. Mr Beck – let me remind you that he was the Foreign Minister of Poland – expressed his deep gratitude for the loyal interpretation of Polish interests at the Munich conference as well as for the sincere relations during the Czech conflict. The Polish government and people credited Hitler and the Reichskanzler, which means he was grateful for Hitler’s actions at the conference in Munich.

It is noteworthy that representatives of Poland were not invited to the Munich conference, and that their interests were in fact represented by Hitler.

At this point Poland assumed the role of instigator: it tried to draw Hungary into the division of Czechoslovakia, which means deliberately pulling other countries into violating international law. It was well known to other European countries, including to both Great Britain and France, that Germany and Poland acted together.





The next, tenth document. From a report by French Ambassador to Germany André François-Poncet to the Foreign Minister of France Georges-Étienne Bonnet of September 22, 1938. I will read it; it is a very interesting document. Next comes a quote, it is the French ambassador’s report to his superior in Paris; he writes, “This is about the demarches taken by Poland and Hungary on September 20 to the Fuehrer, and in London, which were designed to point out that Warsaw and Budapest would not agree to exercising a less favourable plan for their ethnic minorities in the Czechoslovakian state than the plan offered to Sudeten Germans. This was equivalent to a statement, the French Ambassador goes on to say, that ceding territories inhabited by the German majority should also entail Prague’s surrender of the Těšín district and 700,000 Hungarians in Slovakia. Therefore, the presumed divestiture of the territory would amount to the partitioning of the country (that is, Czechoslovakia).”

This is exactly what the Reich wanted. Poland and Warsaw were joining Germany in hounding Czechoslovakia. France and England, who were trying to offer concessions and doing their best to meet Germany’s demands, wanted to save the existence of the Czech state, which was facing a united front of three states that were set to partition Czechoslovakia.

The leaders of the Reich, who made no secret of their goal to erase Czechoslovakia from the map of Europe, immediately used the Polish and Hungarian demarches to declare through their official print media as early as September 21, that a new situation had emerged which required a new solution.

Next. The fact that Poland expressed its appetite once it felt the hour for the division of the spoils was coming, could not have come as a surprise to those who were aware of the intentions of Polish Foreign Minister Beck, who had displayed an increasing caution about Germany and was fully informed of the designs of Hitler’s leaders. In particular, due to regular contact with Hermann Goering throughout several months, the Polish foreign minister believed that the partitioning of Czechoslovakia was unavoidable, that it would happen before the end of 1938. Beck also made no secret of his intentions to claim Těšín and to occupy it if needed.

And the last point. The differences between the party led by Konrad Henlein – the party’s leader in Czechoslovakia – and the Czechs only served as a pretext and the starting point for the Reich as, by persecuting the Prague authorities, the Reich could achieve its main objective, which was to take down a barrier to Germany’s expansion, as Czechoslovakia was an ally of France and Russia in Central Europe.

This is significant. How did the leading politicians around the world respond to the Munich Betrayal, an agreement signed between Hitler, Great Britain and France in 1938? What did well-known people who earned the respect of the public around the world and Europe say back then? We can say that with a few exceptions their reaction was positive and optimistic. Only Winston Churchill was honest in describing the situation, calling a spade a spade.

I want to add that after the agreement was signed, the British Prime Minister, speaking outside his residence on Downing Street upon his return from Munich on September 30, 1938, said: “For the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time.” That is, for our generation.





After the Munich Agreement was signed, Franklin Roosevelt in his message of greetings to Chamberlain dated October 5, 1938, wrote that he completely shared his belief that this was a great opportunity to establish a new order based on justice and the rule of law.

On October 19, 1938, US Ambassador to the UK Joseph Kennedy, the father of future president John Kennedy, gave the following assessment of the Munich Agreement signed between the Western countries, or democracies, and Germany and Italy: It has been my belief for a long time now that it is unproductive and unreasonable on the part of both democracies and dictatorships to emphasise the existing differences between them. They can benefit from working towards resolving their common problems, something that will change relations between them for the better.

And now from Churchill’s speech made in the House of Commons in the British Parliament on October 5, 1938: “We have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat… All is over. Silent, mournful, abandoned, broken, Czechoslovakia recedes into the darkness… Do not let us blind ourselves to that.” He said we should stop deceiving ourselves; we must look realistically at the scale of the disaster that the world is facing. “A disaster of the first magnitude has befallen Great Britain and France… We have sustained a defeat without a war, the consequences of which will travel far with us along our road… And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip.” Quite an assessment.

What was Churchill talking about? The fact that, in Munich, the so-called Western democracies had betrayed their ally, signaling that war was imminent.

Speaking at a League of Nations plenary meeting in September 1938, our Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov said, “Avoiding a likely war today and getting a sure and universal war tomorrow – and that at the cost of feeding the aggressors’ insatiable appetite and destroying sovereign countries – does not mean acting in the spirit of the League of Nations pact.” That is, the Soviet Union condemned this event.

In this connection, I would like to present the following very important document; it is a curious document. Actually, we have all of them displayed at our exhibit. This is a response from the Political Bureau of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) to the September 20, 1938 cable from the USSR’s Plenipotentiary Envoy to Czechoslovakia, Alexandrovsky. On September 20, 1938, the Political Bureau of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) unanimously gave a positive answer to the direct question from President Edvard Benes as to whether the USSR would deliver prompt assistance to Czechoslovakia if France stood loyal to it.

Further, on September 23, 1938, the Soviet Union officially notified Poland that if it invaded Czechoslovakia, the Soviet-Polish non-aggression pact would be terminated. Poland’s Foreign Minister Jozef Beck called this a propaganda ploy of no significance.





In addition, while considering the forthcoming invasion of Tesin, Poland did everything it could to prevent the Soviet Union from fulfilling its obligations to provide assistance to Czechoslovakia. As you recall, they were going to shoot down Soviet planes, and not allow the transit of Soviet troops to help rescue Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile, France, the chief ally of the Czechs and Slovaks at the time, in fact reneged on its guarantees to defend Czechoslovakia’s integrity.

Being left alone, the USSR had to face the reality created by the Western states. The partitioning of Czechoslovakia was cruel and cynical, in essence, it was pillaging. We have every reason to say that the Munich agreement was the turning point in history following which World War II became inevitable.

Hitler could have been stopped in 1938 through the collective efforts of the European states. This was acknowledged by the Western leaders themselves.

Another reference to a document. This is a transcript of conversations of May 17, 1939, between representatives of the French and Polish Commands about the possibilities of war in Europe between the Italian-German and Polish-French coalitions. The French Chief of Staff said at a meeting with the Polish Minister of Military Affairs that the overall situation in 1938 offered many more opportunities for opposition to Germany. So what was he talking about? That given a timely response, the war could have been avoided. Meanwhile, during the Nuremberg Trials, Field Marshall Keitel said, when responding to the question of whether Germany would have attacked Czechoslovakia in 1938 if the Western powers had supported Prague, “No. We were not strong enough militarily.” The Munich [agreement] objective was to push Russia out of Europe, gain time and complete the arming of Germany.

The Soviet Union consistently tried to prevent the tragedy of partitioning Czechoslovakia based on its international obligations, including its agreements with France and Czechoslovakia. However, Britain and France preferred to throw a democratic East European country to the Nazis to appease them. And not only that, but also to steer Nazi aspirations eastward. Polandat the time, unfortunately, was instrumental in this. The leaders of the Second Rzeczpospolita did everything they could to resist a collective security system that would include the USSR.

I want to show you another document – a transcript of Adolf Hitler’s conversation with Foreign Minister of Poland Jozef Beck of January 5, 1939. This document is indicative. It is a sort of distillation of the joint policy of the German Reich and Poland on the eve of, in the course of, and after the end of the Czechoslovakia crisis. The content is cynical in its attitude towards neighbouring nations and Europe as a whole. And it clearly illustrates the contours of the Polish-German alliance as a striking force against Russia.

Let me quote just a few excerpts. Document 13. Everything is in fine print here. This is a copy of the May 17, 1939 document, and I asked my colleagues to make excerpts for me so they are readable.

So, quote number one. The Fuehrer says bluntly, “It was not easy to get the French and the English to consent to the inclusion of Polish and Hungarian claims to Czechoslovakia in the Munich agreement.” This means Hitler was working in the interests of those countries then. In fact, Hitler was an attorney for the Polish authorities in Munich.





And the second quote. The Polish minister says, with certain pride, that Poland does not show such nervousness about enhancing its security as, for example, France does, and attaches no importance to the so-called security systems that went completely bankrupt after the September crisis (Sudetenlandcrisis) in Czechoslovakia. They do not want to establish anything. The Polish foreign minister says this to Hitler directly.

None of the decision-makers in Berlin or Warsaw cared about the fact that the security system in Europe was disintegrating. They cared about something else.

In this connection, the third quote. Hitler says (Adolf Hitler’s words), “Under all circumstances, Germany will be interested in the preservation of a strong national Poland, absolutely independently from the situation in Russia. Be it Bolshevik, Tsarist or any other Russia, Germany will always be extremely cautious in regard to this country. A strong Polish army takes a considerable burden off Germany. The divisions that Poland is forced to keep on the Russian border relieve Germany of additional military expense.” This looks like a military alliance against the Soviet Union.

This document, as you can see, was completely undisguised, and it did not come out of nowhere. This was not a result of tactical manoeuvring but rather a reflection of the consistent trend towards Polish-German rapprochement to the detriment of the Soviet Union. And I have more evidence in this vein, though from earlier dates, it is very revealing

This is an excerpt from a conversation between Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Szembek and Hermann Goering about Polish-Soviet relations of November 5, 1937. Goering is confident that the Third Empire, that is, the Third Reich, will not be able to cooperate with the Soviets and with Russia in general regardless of its internal structure. Goering also added that Germany needs a strong Poland whereby he added that the Baltic Sea is not enough for Poland and it must have access to the Black Sea.

Both then and now, Russia is used to scare people. Be it Tsarist, Soviet or today’s – nothing has changed. It does not matter what kind of country Russia is – this rationale remains. We should also not confuse ideological terms – Bolshevik, Russian, whatever, our former common homeland, the Soviet Union. To achieve this, they will make a deal with anyone, including Nazi Germany, we can, in fact, see this.

And related to that is another very revealing document – a transcript of the conversation between the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joachim Ribbentrop, and Polish Foreign Minister Jozef Beck on January 6, 1939. We got hold of a fairly substantial number of documents from Eastern Europe and Germany after World War II. Joachim Ribbentrop expressed Germany’s position, which, I quote, “will proceed from viewing the Ukrainian issue as Poland’s privilege, and we support Poland in all respects during the discussion of this issue, however, only on condition that Poland takes a more salient anti-Russian stance (this is a quote) since otherwise we (Nazi Germany) are unlikely to have common interests.” Responding to Ribbentrop’s question as to whether Poland had given up Marshal Pilsudski’s ambitions regarding Ukraine, Mr Beck said, “The Poles have already been to Kiev, and these plans are undoubtedly still alive today.”





Actually, this happened in 1939. Let us hope that at least something has changed in this respect. However, the foundation of what I am sharing now is pathological Russophobia. The European capitals, incidentally, were perfectly aware of that. Poland’s Western allies at that time were perfectly aware of that.

The following document will prove what I have just said. This is a report by Ambassador of France to Poland, Mr Leon Noel, to Foreign Minister of France Georges Bonnet on his conversations with his Polish colleagues of May 31, 1938. In this document, the French ambassador wrote about the unequivocal statements made by the Polish leaders, who did not mince words during their meeting.

To quote, “When a German is a rival, he nevertheless remains a European and a man of order.” And Poland would soon find out what a “European and man of order” means. Everyone experienced this on September 1, 1939.

According to Noel, the Poles saw Russians as barbarians with whom “all contact would be perilous and all compromise mortal.” To comment, this can be seen as a typical example of racism and contempt for the “untermensch,” a Nazi concept that included Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, and later the Poles themselves.

You know, in this context, I look at the cases of Russophobia, anti-Semitism and so on in certain European countries, and they bear a striking resemblance to this.

Aggressive nationalism always makes one blind and eliminates any and all moral boundaries. Those who take this path will stop at nothing to achieve their goals – but ultimately, it will hit them back, which we have seen repeatedly.

In this context, here is another document to support this, a report by Ambassador of Poland to Nazi Germany Jozef Lipski to Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jozef Beck of September 20, 1938, which I think is necessary to read to you aloud. Mr Lipski had spoken to Hitler, and this is what he, the Polish ambassador, wrote to his Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Further to our discussion, the Chancellor of Germany, Hitler persistently emphasised that Poland is a paramount factor that protects Europe from Russia.”

It follows from Hitler's other statements that he suddenly had an idea that the Jewish issue can be resolved through migration to colonies in accord with Poland, Hungary, and maybe also Romania. Hitler suggested forcibly expelling the Jewish population from Europe to Africa first – and not just expelling them but actually sending them to their extermination. We all know what was meant by colonies in 1938 – it meant extermination. This was the first step towards genocide, the extermination of Jews and what we today know as the Holocaust.





And this is what the Polish ambassador wrote to the Polish Foreign Minister in this connection – apparently hoping for understanding and approval: I, meaning the Polish Ambassador to Germany, responded, he writes to his Foreign Minister, that if this happens and this issue is resolved, we will build a beautiful monument to him, to Hitler, in Warsaw. There.

An excerpt from the above-mentioned conversation between Adolf Hitler and Polish Foreign Minister Jozef Beck of January 5, 1939. Hitler said, “Another issue of common interest for Germany and Poland is the Jewish issue.” He, the Fuhrer, is firmly resolved to oust Jews from Germany. At that moment, they would be allowed to take along some of their belongings, and Hitler noted, they would definitely take with them much more from Germany than they had when they had settled in that country. But the longer they procrastinate with emigration, the less property they will able to take with them.

What is this? What kind of people are they? Who are they? I have the impression that today’s Europe wants to know nothing about it, it is being deliberately hushed up while they try to shift the blame, including for starting World War II, from the Nazis to the Communists.

Yes, we know who Stalin was, we have given our assessments of him. But I think the fact remains that it was Nazi Germany that invaded first Poland on September 1, 1939, and then the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.

And what kind of people are those who hold such conversations with Hitler? It was them who, while pursuing their mercenary and exorbitantly overgrown ambitions, laid their people, the Polish people, open to attack from Germany’s military machine, and, moreover, generally contributed to the beginning of the Second World War. What else can one think after reading these documents?

And something we also witness today: they desecrate the graves of those who won that war, who gave their lives, including in Europe, while liberating those countries from Nazism.

By the way, it occurred to me that it had nothing to do with Stalin whatsoever. The monuments in Europe were erected to our regular Red Army soldiers, including those who came from currently absolutely independent states established after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. They were ordinary people. Who were these Red Army soldiers? They were mainly farmers and workers, many of whom also suffered from the Stalin regime – some of them were repressed kulaks, some had family members sent to labour camps. These people died as they were liberating the European countries from Nazism. Now memorials to them are being demolished, among other things, so that the facts of a real collusion of some European leaders with Hitler should not surface. This is not revenge on Bolsheviks: they are doing all they can to conceal their own position.





Why did I say that the leaders of those countries, including Poland, at that time, actually threw their people under the chariot of Nazi Germany’s military machine? Because they underestimated the real reasons underlying Hitler’s actions.

This is what he said at a meeting with German Army commanders at the Reich Chancellery, I quote: “The point is not Danzig,” this is a city that was declared to be an international entity and which Germany wanted back after World War I, “the point for us is to expand the Lebensraum eastward and to ensure food supplies.” It was not about Poland at all. The point is that they needed to pave the road for an aggression against the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was trying to the utmost to use every opportunity for establishing an anti-Hitler coalition, held talks with military representatives of France and Great Britain, thus attempting to prevent the outbreak of World War II, but it practically remained alone and isolated. As I have already said, it was the last of the European states concerned that was compelled to sign a non-aggression pact with Hitler.

Yes, there is a classified part on the partitioning of some territory. But we do not know the content of other European countries’ agreements with Hitler. Because while we have de-classified these documents, the Western capitals are still keeping all this classified. We know nothing of their contents. But now we do not need to, because the facts show that there was collusion. In essence, we see the partitioning of a democratic independent state, Czechoslovakia. And the participants in it were not just Hitler but also the then leaders of those countries. It was this that opened the road to the east for Hitler, it was this that became the cause of the outbreak of World War II.

One more point concerning the Soviet Union’s actions after Germany launched a war against Poland. Let me remind you that in the west, in the area of Lvov, the Polish garrison was still resisting, this is true. When the Red Army advanced, they surrendered their weapons to the Red Army. Actually, the fact that the Red Army’s units entered there saved many lives of the local population, mainly the Jewish population. Because all those present here know that the percentage of the Jewish population in that area was very high. If the Nazis had entered, they would have cut out everyone and sent them to the furnaces.

Concerning Brest, for instance, the Red Army advanced there only after those territories were occupied by German troops. The Red Army did not wage any hostilities with anyone there; they were not fighting with the Poles. Moreover, by that time the Polish government had lost control over the country, over the armed forces, and stayed somewhere close to the Romanian border. There was nobody to have any negotiations with. Let me reiterate, the Brest Fortress, which we all know as a citadel for defending the interests of the Soviet Union and our common Fatherland and one of the most extraordinary pages in the history of the Great Patriotic War, was only occupied by the Red Army after the Germans left. They had already captured it, thus in reality the Soviet Union did not seize it from Poland.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you of the way contemporaries assessed the results of the victory over Nazism and the contribution of each of us to that victory, starting with 1941.





Churchill’s statement: “I am very glad to … learn from many sources of the valiant fight and many vigorous counter-attacks with which the Russian armies are defending their native soil. I fully realise the military advantage you have gained by forcing the enemy to deploy and engage on forward Western fronts,” “on forward Western fronts” – I draw your attention to this, the British leaders of the time admitted that this had a combat importance in fighting Nazi Germany, “thus exhausting some of the force of his initial effort.” That means the power of the initial assault of the Nazi army was weakened by the fact that the Red Army advanced to new frontiers. So advancing to these new positions also had a military importance for the Soviet Union.


And now a quote from Winston Churchill’s personal message to Joseph Stalin of February 22, 1945. It was on February 22, the eve of the 27th anniversary of the Red Army. Churchill writes that the Red Army celebrates its twenty-seventh anniversary amid triumphs, which have won the unstinted applause of their allies. And I would like to stress the following in connection with the resolution adopted recently by our colleagues in the European Parliament: “Future generations will acknowledge their debt to the Red Army as unreservedly as do we who have lived to witness these proud achievements.” But we see how the present-day generation of European politicians reacts to this.

Here is what Roosevelt wrote to Stalin in 1945, “The continued outstanding achievements of the Red Army together with the all-out effort of the United Nations forces in the South and the West assure the speedy attainment of our common goal—a peaceful world based upon mutual understanding and cooperation.”

And some time later Harry Truman, the new US President, wrote, “We fully appreciate the magnificent contribution made by the mighty Soviet Union to the cause of civilization and liberty. You have demonstrated the ability of a freedom-loving and supremely courageous people to crush the evil forces of barbarism, however powerful.”

I believe each of us here cannot forget and will never forget the feat of our fathers. I would very much like our colleagues in the West in general and in Europe in particular, to keep this in mind. And if they do not want to listen to us, let them heed the respected leaders of their own countries, who knew what they were saying and had first-hand knowledge of the events.





First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev:

This must be made public.



Vladimir Putin:

We have already made it public. But I just want to put it all together properly and write an article. I want to write an article on this matter.



Nursultan Nazarbayev:

Tosystemise, organise and present all these historical documents.



Vladimir Putin:

Quite right. But that is not all.

I suggest the following: we will now proceed to dinner, and I suggest we go through that hall, where we have set up a little exhibition of these documents. Literally two minutes, and specialists will tell us all about them.

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62376
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old December 25th, 2019 #39
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Crimean Bridge opened to railway traffic



The President took part in the opening of the Crimean Bridge to railway traffic. Vladimir Putin ordered, via videoconference, the departure of the Tavria express passenger train from St Petersburg to Sevastopol.



December 23, 2019 - 14:30 - Taman – Kerch






Before the opening ceremony, the President rode along the bridge in the train driver’s cabin, inspected the entire railway section and also spoke with the bridge builders.

Vladimir Putin also familiarized himself with the information on the development of transport infrastructure in the south of Russia, in particular the Crimean Railway.

The 19-km Crimean Bridge is the longest bridge in Russia and Europe. Starting on the Taman Peninsula, it runs along a 5-km long dam and Tuzla Island, crosses the Kerch Strait and ends on the Crimean coast. The bridge ensures uninterrupted traffic between Crimea and other Russian regions.

The transport crossing consists of a motorway and a railway running parallel to each other. The bridge’s motorway section opened in May 2018, and freight traffic was launched in the autumn of 2018. There are plans to start operating freight trains in the summer of 2020.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, friends,

Today we have a pleasant and a very important occasion. It is important for Crimea, Sevastopol, the entire south of Russia and the whole of Russia, because, of course, such infrastructure facilities as this tremendous bridge will influence the entire economy.








However, I would like to tell you that today, we are not launching the traffic but restoring it, because originally train traffic to St Petersburg – and the first train will be from St Petersburg to Sevastopol – was launched 145 years ago.








Over the course of Russian history, this train service has been interrupted only three times: during the 1917 October Revolution, during the Great Patriotic War and in 2014. You have restored it, although, the route is different, but it is a solid and reliable route. Congratulations on this. This is a great occasion.








You know, there is also another important thing: not just that millions of cars have used the bridge since it was opened or that millions of passengers will travel this way next year. This is also a great occasion. Almost 14 million passengers and 13 million tonnes of cargo are expected next year.








There is something more important. It is more important that your hard work, talent, perseverance and determination have proven that Russia is capable of implementing infrastructure projects at the global level. This is not just the largest bridge in Russia, but also the longest in Europe.








You have shown that we can carry out such large-scale projects using our own technological base. Without exaggeration, this gives almost everyone confidence that we will be able to implement such projects in the future.








Thank you very much for your persistence and your talent, thanks to everyone: builders, engineers, scientists, archeologists and environmentalists. This is a great, enormous and powerful team uniting people from all across Russia from the Far East to its European part.








I congratulate you on this occasion and wish you success and all the best. Happy New Year!


Broadcast of the Tavria express passenger train leaving St Petersburg for Sevastopol.


Good luck on your journey!




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62388






Visiting Zeleny Dom agricultural enterprise



Vladimir Putin visited the Zeleny Dom agricultural enterprise in the Republic of Adygeya, where he inspected the production workshops and became familiar with flower production.



December 23, 2019 - 16:30 - Sups, Republic of Adygeya







The enterprise is engaged in year-round production of cut roses under cover and seasonal growing on the field. It is equipped with automated high-tech equipment and is environmentally friendly: modern water purification and culture solution systems are installed in the greenhouses.











After that, the President visited an exhibition held at the enterprise, displaying agricultural products of Adygeya. Various types of cheese, bread, sausages, butter and other dairy products were shown to Vladimir Putin.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62391






Telephone conversation with Andrei Kochetov



Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone with 10-year-old Andrei Kochetov from the Stavropol Territory, who was able to visit the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort thanks to the President’s participation in the New Year Tree of Wishes national campaign.



December 23, 2019 - 16:45 - Sups, Republic of Adygeya







On December 5, at the International Volunteer Forum, the President joined the New Year Tree of Wishes national campaign for the second time. Vladimir Putin picked a card with a wish from 10-year-old Andrei Kochetov. Andrei has a serious disease.





Since the treatment stared, the boy lives with many restrictions, but the New Year Tree of Wishes campaign made his dream – to visit the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort and the Olympic Park in Sochi – come true.

Vladimir Putin wished Andrei Kochetov a good vacation.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62393






Meeting with members of the public



During his trip to Adygeya, Vladimir Putin met with members of the public to discuss the development of agriculture and rural areas in Russia.



December 23, 2019 - 18:40 - Sups, Republic of Adygeya







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, colleagues,

On December 26, Moscow will host a special State Council meeting on agriculture development.

So, I wanted to take my trip to one of the agricultural regions to talk with those who work the land, so that before I meet with my colleagues, with the regional leaders and industry leaders, I can listen to what you have to say on this subject, how you see the development of the industry and its individual areas, and which positive aspects, in your view, need to be developed and supported.

What you would like to draw our attention to, meaning that something may not be working so far or may not work as efficiently as we would like it to. Or you would like to point out those issues that concern you so that I can address them to my colleagues in Moscow on December 26.





But first, I must say that thanks to your efforts, to those who work in the rural regions, the industry as a whole is developing at a very good pace. While economic growth is 1.3 percent, agricultural growth is 4.1 percent. To a certain extent, this even acts as a driver for the development of the entire economy.

Agriculture in Russia not only provides the country with all the basic foodstuffs, but it is also working rather efficiently for exports. In 2018, exports totalled almost $26 billion. It was hard to even imagine this a few years ago. It seemed impossible. But all this is happening thanks to your efforts and those of your colleagues.





We will continue to implement the state programme for agriculture development. And next year, we will launch a new programme for the development of rural areas, you probably know about this. The amount of funding is very large – more than 2 trillion, with 1 trillion directly from the federal budget to various areas of agriculture.

This is what I wanted to say first. The goal of our meeting today is to listen to you. This does not mean that I will answer all your questions now, because they can be quite complex and specific. I will do what I can do, but mainly, I would like to listen to you in order to use this information in my work on December 26 in Moscow.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62392
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln

Last edited by Alex Him; December 25th, 2019 at 06:28 AM.
 
Old December 25th, 2019 #40
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post

Defence Ministry Board meeting



Vladimir Putin took part in the Defence Ministry Board meeting held at the National Defence Control Centre.



December 24, 2019 - 15:45 - Moscow







The participants summed up the Armed Forces’ performance in 2019. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief outlined the principal objectives in terms of military development and in key areas of the Ministry’s activity next year.

The annual expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board was attended by members of the Security Council, senior members of the Federal Assembly and the Government, as well as commanders of military districts, formations and units of the Armed Forces.

After the meeting, Vladimir Putin awarded state decorations to the Northern Fleet, the Long-Range Aviation Command and the 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment. For strengthening the country's defence capability, high performance in combat training, courage and dedication displayed by the personnel during the implementation of combat training and special tasks the Red Banner Northern Fleet was awarded the Order of Ushakov; the Long-Range Aviation Command – the Order of Suvorov; the 104th Red Banner Guards Air Assault Regiment – the Order of Kutuzov.

During his visit to the National Defence Control Centre, the President also met with the commanders of the military districts and the Northern Fleet.

Before the meeting, the President visited an exhibition of advanced weapons and equipment. In particular, the President was shown the mortar (artillery) battery automation facilities set, the Adjutant complex, the Epokha unmanned combat module, the Harpoon-2M portable anti-drone system, a Russian-made buggy, the Phoenix UAV, the Piranha inflatable airboat and the latest Topaz, Taktika and Kalan armoured vests.

Vladimir Putin was also shown finds from the joint expedition of the Northern Fleet and the Russian Geographical Society carried out in August-September 2019 on Franz Josef Land. During the expedition, five new geographic locations were discovered and the maximum depth of the Barents Sea was specified at 634 metres. An explorers’ dog-sledge, one of the main finds, will be given to the Russian Arctic National Park in Arkhangelsk.







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Good afternoon, comrade officers,

Over the past few years, we have held the expanded meetings of the Defence Ministry Board and other events in the field of military development at the National Defence Control Centre. It opened on December 19 five years ago. Since then, it has become an effective instrument of army and navy command and a vital part of interagency cooperation.

I would like to thank everyone serving or working at the centre and those who created it, and to wish you every success in protecting Russia’s military security.

We have met for this expanded meeting to review the performance of the Armed Forces in 2019 and to discuss their principal objectives in the future.

It should be said that many quality and system-wide changes took place in the Armed Forces in 2019. The share of modern weapons in the nuclear triad has reached 82 percent. The latest ballistic missiles with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) are being delivered to the Strategic Missile Forces. This weapon of the future can penetrate both the existing and any future missile defence systems.

Important steps have been taken to improve control, communications, intelligence and electronic warfare systems. The progress is mainly due to the introduction of the most recent technologies in the collection, transmission and processing of information.





If you remember last year, we talked about the need to reduce decision-making time at all levels of the Armed Forces. We have achieved a result. Thanks to the use of advanced technologies, integrated solutions and new algorithms, it was possible to improve the performance and increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces command and control system.

The previous models of weapons and equipment used in the Aerospace Forces, Navy, and in other branches and services are being systematically replaced by modern ones, including those based on digital technology and artificial intelligence. Robotic systems and unmanned aerial vehicles are being rigorously introduced and used in combat training, which dramatically boosts the capabilities of armed units and subunits.

The troops regularly use the new equipment to practice performing tactically difficult, non-standard tasks during their exercises, manoeuvres, and snap combat readiness inspections. The nuclear forces have confidently showed their increased capabilities at the Grom [Thunder] 2019 exercise. The Navy as well as long-range aviation fully accomplished their tasks during the Ocean Shield drills; for the first time, Russian military units tested and coordinated actions among eight states to perform antiterrorist operations during the Center-2019 manoeuvres.

The Russian army continues to play a key role in achieving peace in Syria. The Aerospace Forces group, ships and submarines of the Navy, including those deployed at the Khmeimim airbase and the naval base in Tartus, are guarantors of peace and stability in that country.

It is also important that Russia, thanks to the qualitatively increased capabilities of the Armed Forces, is confidently entering a new level of international military cooperation. Several Tu-160 flights over the western part of the Indian Ocean were performed from airfields in South Africa. Russian crews joined forces with their Chinese counterparts on combat patrolling of the airspace over the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, also for the first time.

Efforts to develop military education and pre-university training were also among the notable outcomes of this year. Two new state-of-the-art education institutions opened: the Kemerovo Presidential Cadet School and a branch of the Defence Ministry Girls’ Boarding School in St Petersburg.

I can add that all military academy graduates in 2019, over 14,000 officers in total, received positions in the military confirming to their profession. This means that the overall military education system in its current form satisfies the current and future needs of the Armed Forces, operates in a balanced and sound manner, training new generations of military professionals who will build the future of Russia’s Army and Navy.





Colleagues,

A general review of the Armed Forces shows that it demonstrates high operational efficiency. All services and branches within the Armed Forces can deliver on their objectives, guaranteeing peace and security for Russia. This is a matter of principle and has critical importance in today’s international environment and considering the related risks.

Tension persists in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and on the Korean Peninsula. NATO is expanding its military infrastructure close to our borders.

The arms control regime is disintegrating, which causes serious concern. This is not limited to the dismantling of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) by the United States under a pretext that is clearly far-fetched and absolutely groundless.

Since November 2019, Washington has been creating uncertainty regarding its engagement under the Treaty on Open Skies. The prospects of extending the New START are equally vague. And all this is taking place while the United States is expanding the capability of its global missile defence system. We see this, and we are aware of these developments.

In this context we must continue to strengthen and develop the Army and Navy, as well as to focus on the following key objectives in 2020.

First of all, the share of modern weapons and equipment in the Army and Navy must reach at least 70 percent by the end of 2020. This goal has been already achieved in some arms and services, but others must continue working, for example, the Ground Forces.

This goal – 70 percent of modern equipment – must be attained and subsequently maintained. As I mentioned, our goal is not a one-time rearmament, after which we can forget about the Army and Navy for decades. The Army and Navy must always have the best equipment and technology. Just now I visited an exhibition, where some people reported proudly that some of our equipment and technology are up to world standards. But in fact, as I have told our defence representatives more than once, it must be even better; our equipment must be better than the world’s best if we want to come out as the winners. This is not a game of chess where we can sometimes accept a tie. It concerns the military organisation of the nation. Our equipment must be better. We can do it and we are doing it in the key spheres. But we must also do it in all spheres.

Second, the drafting of the national defence plan for 2021–2025 will be completed next year. While working on it, we must take into account the military and political changes that have happened in the world and try to forecast future developments, as well as to comprehensively analyse potential military threats and formulate measures for the use and improvement of the Armed Forces.





Third, I have said that this year the United States has actually destroyed the INF Treaty, which is why we must monitor the potential deployment of US missiles of this class around the world, but first of all in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

We are ready to work out new arms control agreements. But until this process is launched we will continue to strengthen our nuclear forces. I am referring to the delivery of cutting-edge Avangard and Yars systems to the Strategic Missile Forces and Borei-A missile submarines to the naval nuclear forces.

And lastly, we will continue to create other promising missile systems that can ensure guaranteed deterrence of aggression against Russia and its allies.

Fourth, operational and combat training should serve to develop innovative and more effective ways of using troops, units and subunits, and positive results should be immediately incorporated into combat training programmes.

During the upcoming Caucasus 2020 exercise, special attention should be paid to the training of command post staff to lead coalition forces and troops, and drill military personnel in acting in difficult geographical and climatic conditions.

Comrades,

One of our key and traditional priorities is to improve the social security system for military service members. The federal budget provides for their service pay to be indexed annually over the next three years: by 3 percent in 2020, and by 4 percent each in 2021 and 2022. Pensions of retired servicemen will also increase.

It is planned to continue issuing housing subsidies, requested by more than 70 percent of servicemen who are in need of housing. More than 218 billion rubles have been allocated for these purposes since 2014. In the next three years, another 113 billion will be provided. The development of a funded mortgage system will also continue.

It is important to continue to develop, in a balanced manner, all the components of the social security system for military personnel, as the effectiveness of your work – our common work on the Armed Forces development – will directly depend on this.





Colleagues,

Ensuring Russia’s defence capability is a crucial task and a priority among other matters of state and national importance. No matter how events develop, reliable and guaranteed defence of our Fatherland from any potential military threats must remain a given.

We do not forget the lessons of history; we are proud of our heroes and remember our fallen fighters. In the coming year, 2020, we will mark the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory in the Great Patriotic War with grand celebrations on a national scale. This day is sacred for all citizens of Russia – a symbol of courage and heroism of our Army, Navy, and all Russian people.

I know that the Armed Forces’ main cathedral, the Church of the Resurrection in Kubinka, is going to be completed in the Moscow Region in time for the occasion – I just got updated on the project. The Victory Parade on Red Square and a number of other grandiose events are being prepared. I am sure that all of them will be held at a high level, and the Armed Forces will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory by showing even higher performance results in ensuring the nation’s defence capability and security.

I would like to thank you, colleagues, all the personnel of the Armed Forces, for the impeccable fulfilment of your tasks, and for your loyalty to Russia. I wish you success in your service.

Thank you.





Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu:

Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

The military and political situation this year was characterised by the further building up of military capability. In 2020, the US military budget will reach almost $750 billion for the first time. This is almost equal to the total annual military budget of all the countries in the world and is 16 times larger than the Russian military budget.

NATO is implementing the Four for 30 anti-Russian initiative of the US, which envisages having 30 motorised battalions, 30 air squadron and 30 military ships ready in 30 days. As of December 1, the land component is completely set, the air component stands at 76 percent and the naval at 93 percent. According to our estimates, this concept can be fully implemented by 2022. It is expected that nuclear weapon carrier preparation times will be cut from 10 days to 24 hours.

US aircraft control and warning groups are deployed in the Baltics, which will allow controlling our air space as far as 450 kilometres in.

Every year the NATO bloc in Europe holds up to 40 large military exercises, which are clearly anti-Russian in nature. The intensity of air and naval intelligence near our borders has increased 33 and 24 percent, respectively, compared to last year.

The tests of intermediate range missiles carried out by the Pentagon in August and December confirm that the US is working on missile systems that were prohibited under the INF Treaty when it was in effect. The deployment of such systems in Europe and in the East will be the next logical step. The US is also not clear about the future of New START and the Treaty on Open Skies.

Without dragging ourselves in an arms race but with due regard to these threats, the Defence Ministry and the defence industry have continued to fulfil the reequipment of the Armed Forces and improving their quality.

Reequipping the Army and Navy. All Defence Ministry Action Plan items and the state defence order for 2019 have been fulfilled. We have achieved the highest rate of weapon and vehicle deliveries in the past four years. Providing the army with over 6,500 units of new and upgraded weapons increased the share of modern weaponry to 68.2 percent.

The Presidential instruction to equip the Strategic Nuclear Forces with fundamentally new strike systems is being fulfilled. The upgrade level for the Strategic Missile Forces is over 76 percent and is at 82 percent for the “nuclear triad.”





This week, the first missile regiment armed with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles will enter combat duty. Three more missile regiments were reequipped with the Yars road-mobile missile systems. The deployment of the Peresvet laser systems has been completed. Since December 1 they have been in service in missile deployment areas of five missile divisions of the Strategic Missile Forces.

The Strategic Nuclear Aviation acquired five upgraded missile carriers. Tests of the Knyaz Vladimir ballistic missile submarine and lead ship of the Borei-A class have been successfully completed.

This year, the Armed Forces received 624 tanks and other armoured vehicles, 143 modern planes and helicopters, 13 spacecraft, one submarine, eight surface ships, 17 boats and support ships, four Bal and Bastion coastal missile systems, and more than 10,000 units of modern communication technology.

Extensive work to reequip all Ground Forces’ missile brigades with Iskander systems has been completed. The third Kupol spacecraft for the Unified Space System was launched. The system is successfully fulfilling test and combat alert missions.

Practical test flights of the Okhotnik UAV, experimental long-range drone for reconnaissance and combat strike purposes, which surpasses its foreign counterparts, have been completed. On December 1, a unique over-the-horizon radar station went online. It is able to identify mass airborne aviation units and cruise missile launches, including hypersonic.

Long-term contracts were signed to deliver 76 Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets and over 200 modern combat helicopters to the Aerospace Forces, and this allowed us to reduce purchase prices by 20 percent and ensure workload for defence industry enterprises until 2028.

For the first time in Russia’s modern history, 22 open ocean vessels are being built simultaneously for the Navy. Five ships were laid down this year, and eight more will be laid down next year. Efforts are being made to build them faster and equip them with high-precision weapons, including Zircon hypersonic missiles.

Mi-28NM helicopters, attack version of the Inokhodets (Ambler) UAV, and new versions of missile and bomb weapons for the Su-57 fighter jet were tested in battle in Syria.





Reequipping the Army and Navy, along with periodic servicing of military equipment, made it possible to increase the level of technical operability in the Armed Forces to 95 percent. At the same time, there is a problem with operational readiness of training aircraft which is currently 58 percent, and 56 percent for Yak-130 aircraft. We are working actively to improve the situation.

The transfer of 107 repair facilities to the defence industry and Rostec state corporation was completed in full.

Brand new technology and weapons developed in the Era military innovative technopolis are already being used in daily military activities. Four research and production companies have proven their efficiency. We consider it necessary to spread this practice to all defence industry enterprises.

Service personnel from 17 scientific companies are engaged in unique research in the defence sector. They have implemented 1,584 designs and registered 135 inventions. Having finished their service, 912 of them have become officers or have been employed by defence industry enterprises.

Over the past five years that the National Defence Control Centre has been in operation, the aggregate productivity of its computing power has increased eight-fold, and the volume of stored protected data has grown by 16 times which makes it possible to manage all Armed Forces activities, from everyday operation to combat control. The centre also conducts round-the-clock monitoring of state defence order implementation.

To improve the efficiency of fulfilling state defence order as part of the Unified Information System of Payments under the State Defence Order, the results of financial and economic activities of the state defence order contractors are accounted for separately. This made it possible to cut accounts receivable by 2.5 times, lower the prices for weaponry and equipment, and increase deliveries to the troops.

Your decisions, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, on reequipping the Army and Navy, made at the meetings in Sochi, are being fulfilled without interruption. Models of weaponry and equipment have been specified, procurement prices have been lowered, and the Unified Information System to control the state defence order is up and running.

At the same time, Russia’s military budget has remained at the same level for several years compared with the constantly growing expenses of the US and other countries. If last year we had the seventh largest military spending among leading countries, this year we are eighth and next year it will be ninth.





At the same time, the speed of reequipping the Army, establishing advanced military infrastructure and the plans for the social protection of military personnel are maintained.

Now to increasing the troops’ readiness to perform their designated duties. The level of field, air and naval training of military personnel has increased. In total, over 18,500 exercises and drills of various levels have been held in the Armed Forces; the goal to increase the time spent in the air or at sea has been fulfilled; two snap complex inspections of combat readiness involving military districts, services and branches of the Armed Forces have been carried out.

The Centre 2019 strategic command-and-staff exercise was the largest military training effort, with military units from seven CSTO and SCO countries taking part.

The Navy carried out the Ocean Shield joint drills. The group demonstrated its ability to effectively fulfil tasks related to the protection of our national interests in the Baltic and North seas and in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Every year the interest of foreign countries in the International Army Games, which have become an important element of military training, is growing. Competitions and games have been held in ten countries featuring teams from 39 states, and for the first time in India, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

In order to increase the level of military skill of troops and to hold the games, 82 ranges have been upgraded and 42 exercises with our foreign colleagues have been carried out over the period of five years. The Russian-Chinese drills Naval Interaction 2019 and the Russian-Indian drills Indra 2019 were the most significant.

We continue to form a professional army. Along with new technically sophisticated equipment, the number of service personnel that are trained to operate and use it is growing. And at the same time, fewer conscripts are needed.

This year all contract soldiers had to pass an evaluation which identified professionally unfit applicants who were then dismissed. We continue to raise the selection requirements and the level of competence for contract soldiers. Today, over 70 percent have a professional education. At the same time they are financially motivated and the conditions for service have improved.





In 2019, over 14,000 officers graduated from military academies and joined the military. This is the second full-scale graduation from our military academies. The system of military education has reached the required volume of training capacity and is capable of providing for the Army’s needs in terms of qualified military personnel.

The officer manning level has been raised to 95 percent with an average age of 35. The officer corps displays high morale and willpower, and professionalism. Combat experience was acquired by all commanders of the military districts, all-arms armies, the Air Force and the Air Defence armies, divisions, brigades and regiments, 90 percent of air forces personnel, 56 percent of air defence specialists, 61 percent of Navy officers, 98 percent of military police, and 78 percent of the engineering corps.

Competition among military academy applicants remains high. This year up to 18 applicants competed per one opening.

The electronic education environment is being developed: the number of basic e-manuals has increased threefold.

The decision to index the service pay, taken by the President of the Russian Federation, keeps it at the same level as in the leading industries. Also, military pensions will be indexed every year.

The task set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on ensuring kindergarten admissions and employing servicemen’s wives has been accomplished in full, like in the previous year: almost 5,000 children went to preschools, and over 900 wives have been employed. This issue remains a priority for us.

This year 15,500 patients received hi-tech medical treatment. The servicemen morbidity has fallen by 15 percent in the past three years whereas the most common medical condition – respiratory diseases – dropped by 23 percent. Service personnel in remote garrisons had 765 emergency and scheduled tele-medical consultations.

Troop installation. All installation activities scheduled for 2019 were fully carried out. The construction, renovation and overhaul of 3,750 buildings and facilities with a total area of 3.5 million square metres was completed. The infrastructure is being built simultaneously with the supply of arms and military vehicles. Seventy-five percent of all facilities are built under a standard design, which cuts build time in half and reduces the cost of design work.





In total, over 650 buildings and facilities have been built this year that are related to nuclear deterrence capability and personnel. The renovation of 19 airfields has been completed, with over 230 buildings and facilities put into operation.

In five years, two launch complexes for the Angara light and heavy rocket class were built at the Plesetsk Space Launch Centre, and the launch complex for the Soyuz-2 rocket was rebuilt. The first launches took place from the new launch centres this year.

The Caspian Flotilla facilities are currently under construction.

Military medical institutions have completed the construction of more than 100 buildings and facilities. The construction of military hospitals in Penza, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Vladikavkaz are ongoing. Of the 140 medical institutions we need, 23 still remain to be built by 2030, including nine that will be completed next year.

The programme for creating a network of presidential cadet schools has been fully implemented. The final stage was the opening of an educational institution in Kemerovo this year, and a branch of the Defence Ministry Boarding School for Girls opened in St Petersburg.

Next year, we will open a Nakhimov Naval School branch in Kaliningrad, thereby completing the development of this network of branches.

A sports centre at the Ussuriysk Suvorov Military School and an ice palace at the Nakhimov Naval School are now in operation. In total, the Armed Forces have over 50 ice rinks and the same number of swimming pools. In total, we need 55 pools, and four are to be built by 2025. We will achieve the same performance for ice rinks.

As for providing homes for military personnel, we have delivered in full on the permanent home plan. This year, 7,000 military personnel received permanent homes, including 1,900 who were given flats and 5,100 who received housing subsidies. In 2019, about 600 military personnel moved into corporate housing every week. Overall, housing was provided to over 33,000 families.





The specialised housing inventory includes over 41,000 residential premises. Given that the compensation for sublet housing was increased to the real amount paid in rent, there was a decline in demand for new corporate flats and, accordingly, a reduction in maintenance expenses. In addition, families of military personnel have moved into 17,000 flats that were returned to the housing inventory by judicial decision.

The savings and mortgage system has attracted 300,000 military personnel, including about 110,000 who have already purchased permanent housing in the location of their choice.

A solution has been found to the long-standing problem of military personnel who are not included on the staff until they are provided with homes. All social obligations owed to them have been met in full. I would like to remind you that the number of this category of military personnel has declined to a mere 47 from about 61,000 five years ago.

The commissioning of the first NARA integrated industrial and logistics enterprise will allow us to shut down all economically unviable and outdated depots and warehouses.

Thanks to private investment, the construction of an integrated industrial and logistics enterprise has begun in Arkhangelsk and next year we will launch this project in Sevastopol and Vladivostok.

All missiles and ammunition at 79 storage facilities located within the boundaries of populated areas and near hazardous industrial facilities have been relocated to new modern storage facilities.

Oil companies have built 12 fuelling stations on Armed Forces’ airfields with their own funds. The construction of another five stations is underway. Oil company investment totalled 18 billion roubles. In 2020, they will invest another 3 billion roubles.

The Defence Ministry has partnered with the Presidential Executive Office to address the issue of creating five rail teams, without attracting Armed Forces personnel, to carry out the Supreme Commander’s instruction to build a second line on the Baikal-Amur Railway from Tynda to Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Development of the military infrastructure continues in the Arctic. In total, 590 facilities with a total area of over 720,000 square metres were built using innovative technology. Top priority military settlement facilities with a total area of 4,600 square metres were built in Tiksi to accommodate the Northern Fleet air defense divisions. The Nagurskoye military settlement was completed on the island of Alexandra Land. A school for the children of military families was renovated in the village of Belushya Guba, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago.





Environmental recovery measures were completed in the Arctic military deployment areas a year ahead of schedule. Over 113,000 square kilometres were cleaned; 23,000 tonnes of scrap metal were collected, and 18,600 tonnes were removed. On the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, 453 buildings have been blasted.

Next year, environmental clean-up will continue at Cape Marre-Sale, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Kildin Island and Wrangel Island.

Implementation of the Effective Army programme continues. Over the past six years, we have reduced shortages of basic items of material, technical and utility support amid constantly growing prices of these services, which allowed us to fulfill the tasks assigned to the Defence Ministry. We consider it necessary to expand the Defence Ministry’s participation in national projects.

A systematic approach to preparations for the heating season allowed us to cut the number of malfunctions 6.5 times. In conjunction with Novatek and other commercial companies, we are implementing a pilot project to convert boilers to liquefied gas. The annual savings are expected to amount to 370 million rubles a year for four boiler plants alone. We transferred 32,000 facilities unclaimed by the Defence Ministry to the Russian regions, cutting our maintenance bill by 3.7 billion rubles.

Regarding missions abroad. To ensure a military presence in strategically important areas, strategic missile carriers ran 48 sorties this year. In July, Russian and Chinese strategic bombers held the first patrolling mission in the Asia-Pacific Region. In October, the Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers used airfields in the Republic of South Africa. Russian Navy ships made 111 voyages to the Arctic zone, the Central and Northern Atlantic, the Caribbean basin and piracy-prone areas of the Gulf of Aden. Russian ships also took an active part in joint military drills in Southeast Asia and in the Indian Ocean.

Russian service personnel are guarantors of lasting peace in Syria. Russian Aerospace Forces craft average two to three sorties per day for reconnaissance and air support of Syrian Army actions to eliminate separate terrorist groups. Let me remind you that in 2015, our air force made 80–90 sorties per day while pursuing its mission.

Overall, we have tested 359 samples of modern weaponry in Syria. The service personnel at the Russian centre for reconciliation of the opposing sides in Syria conducted over 2,000 humanitarian missions. The military medics rendered aid to 109,000 civilians. The Syrian authorities, along with Russian military personnel, conduct a programme for restoring peaceful life and the return of refugees. In total, about 2 million refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to their places of residence since 2015.

Modern military and social infrastructure has been deployed in areas of Russian troop deployment in Syria. This year, protected shelters for semi-strategic aviation were opened at the Hmeimim airfield, whereas in Tartus a modern ship-repair facility was built.

Russian military facilities are reliably protected by air defence and electronic warfare systems. This year alone they downed 53 drones and 27 multiple launch rockets fired by terrorists.





Since 2015, Syrian air defence repelled 83 attacks of the US-led coalition and Israel as well as terrorist attacks whereby 217 cruise missiles, 38 guided bombs and 25 drones were destroyed

Unlike the Patriot systems in Saudi Arabia, the Russian air defences down at least 72 percent of high precision munitions and UFVs during each massive strike. Meanwhile, the Syrian air defence, alongside with modern Russian Pantsyr and Buk systems, is largely comprised of obsolete Soviet S-75, S-125 and S-200, which were repaired and upgraded by Russian specialists.

We are building a modern military and social infrastructure for service personnel and their families at Russian bases abroad.

This year, a battalion of S-300PS surface-to-air missiles with Russian crews was placed on combat duty at the training centre of the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan. The Armed Forces of Tajikistan will be able to obtain these systems in two years, when their specialists have been trained.

We prioritised military-technical cooperation with China, India, Egypt, Algeria and Vietnam. We continued to strengthen allied relations with countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The International Military-Technical Forum Army 2019 became an important event in expanding military-technical cooperation. The event surpassed the 2018 forum in terms of its main parameters. State contracts worth over one trillion rubles were signed. In five years, the forum has become the largest arms exhibition worldwide. A record-breaking number of delegates from 111 countries and seven international organisations attended the annual Moscow conference on international security.

Regarding military-political work, our military-political authorities, together with generals and commanders helped maintain high moral-psychological levels of the service personnel. We continue to establish and reinstate a system for training specialists for these authorities. Military-political authorities will address additional and more topical tasks.

The Defence Ministry spearheads the military-patriotic education of young people. Today, theYunarmiya [Young Army] Military Patriotic Movement encompasses all Russian regions and unites over 600,000 teenagers. Obviously, we need to improve the efficiency of regional Yunarmiya divisions. We consider it appropriate to suggest that regional leaders work more actively in this field.

As per the Supreme Commander in Chief’s instruction, we have started deploying Avangard training-methodological centres that will operate all year round. In 2020, they will be established and will start working in Moscow Region as well as in Moscow. The Nizhny Novgorod centre was established earlier in 2019. We are expecting all Russian regions to work actively.





The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces will be consecrated and opened in the run-up to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory. The memory of 33 million people who took part in the Great Patriotic War will be perpetrated for the first time in world history at the Road of Memory museum complex; surviving photos and wartime letters will also be on display there.

There are plans to launch the six-route Echelons of Victory mobile patriotic project in military districts and at the Northern Fleet.

On Victory Day, we will hold military parades in 28 cities, as well as official events involving service personnel in 447 communities. There are plans to have festive fireworks displays in 68 cities of the Russian Federation.

Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Armed Forces have achieved all the goals that were set for 2019, increasing their combat capability by 14 percent and maintaining national defences at the required level. Some problems have been uncovered, and ways to deal with them have been added to the ministry’s plans for 2019–2025.

In 2020, the ministry will have several priorities: 22 launchers with Yars and Avangard ballistic missiles are to be put on combat duty at the Strategic Missile Forces; the modernisation of six Tu-95MS strategic bombers is to be completed; and the first of seven Borei-A class nuclear-powered submarine cruisers, Knyaz Oleg, armed with Bulava ballistic missiles is to be delivered to the navy.

As for the general purpose forces, 565 modern armoured vehicles, 436 standard artillery systems and two battalions of the Buk-M3 air defence systems are to be delivered to the Army and the Coast Guard of the Navy, plus 11 new formations and military units are to be established.

The Aerospace Forces and the Navy will receive 106 new and modernised aircraft plus four regiments of the S-400 Triumf and six battalions of the Pantsir air defence missile systems. The fourth spacecraft of the Unified Space System is to be launched and the technical operability standards of aircraft are to be raised to 80 percent through the signing of state contracts regarding cost per flight hour and transition to an advanced system of aircraft maintenance support.

The Navy is to receive 14 surface ships and boats, three submarines, 18 auxiliary ships and boats and one Bal coastal defence system. The construction of infrastructure facilities for strategic submarines is to be completed on the Northern and Pacific fleets; a project-oriented system of designing, building and modernising naval ships will be introduced; and the share of modern weapons and equipment in the Armed Forces will be increased to 70 percent, as per the instructions set out in the May 2012 Presidential Executive Orders. We will maintain the operability of weapon systems and equipment at the current level, hold 19,200 exercises and drills, including the Caucasus 2020 command post exercises, and make sure that 3,200 buildings are ready by the time the planned delivery of weapons and equipment takes place, as well as continue to implement the Effective Army programme.

Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as per your instructions, we will continue the progressive development of the Armed Forces and enhance their quality standards next year. We will speak about the details during the restricted part of this meeting.

This concludes my report.

Thank you.





Vladimir Putin:

Colleagues,

In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about issues not directly related to the topics we discuss today but concerning them in one way or another.

Let me begin with a story. You may have noticed that recently I met with my colleagues, the CIS heads of state – the heads of the countries that not so long ago were part of our common motherland, our common state, which faced Nazi Germany in World War II and won the Great Patriotic War.

I said there (and we have noted this many times) that some countries – our neighbours in Europe and on the other side of the ocean – often try to distort history and make up unbelievable scenarios of how the situation in the world and Europe developed on the eve of World War II. And recently, as a logical conclusion to this process, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that almost puts Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on the same level, implying or even saying directly that the Soviet Union was also responsible for the beginning of World War II. Of course, this is complete nonsense.

I asked my colleagues to search for some materials in the archives and I looked them through. I presented an incomplete list of those documents to my colleagues who are present here today, and to the CIS heads of state. I mentioned this in passing at that meeting, we had no time really, and even now there’s no occasion yet to talk about it in detail. Nevertheless, I will still talk a bit about it, and later, as you might have noticed, I will write an article on this, just as I promised.

The USSR was the last country in Europe to sign the Treaty of Non-aggression with Germany. The last. All the other leading European countries did this before the Soviet Union. Yes, the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (let me remind you that Ribbentrop was Germany’s foreign minister, and Molotov was the foreign minister and chairman of the Council of Ministers) was signed, and there was also a secret protocol which defined the spheres of influence. But what have the European countries been doing before that? The same. They had all done the same thing, starting in 1938, when Hitler claimed part of Czechoslovakia, and Great Britain and France turned their backs on their ally, although France had a treaty of mutual assistance with Czechoslovakia. Thus Hitler got a chance to seize part of the country.

But what did the other countries do, Poland, for example? They actually conspired with Hitler. This much is directly evident from the documents – from archive documents. Another question is whether there were any secret annexes or not – but it doesn’t matter. It is important how they acted. They acted in collusion for certain – just from the documents on how they negotiated. And at the so-called Munich Conference, Hitler directly represented the interests of Poland, and partly of Hungary. He directly represented their interests, and then he said to the Poles: It was so difficult to defend your interests, you know. We have it all in the documents. Thank God, we have enough archival documents that we attained as trophies from the European countries after World War II.

But that’s not all. What really hit me hard, I’m telling you honestly, was how Hitler and the official representatives of Poland discussed the so-called Jewish problem. Hitler told the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and later bluntly said to the Polish Ambassador to Germany that he had a plan to send the Jewish population to Africa, to the colonies. Imagine, in 1938, to expel Jews from Europe to Africa. Sending them to their extermination. To destruction. And here is what the Polish ambassador wrote to the Polish Foreign Minister, Mr Beck: When I heard this, he wrote, I responded (to Hitler, he means), that if this happens and this issue is resolved, we will build a beautiful monument to him (to Hitler) in Warsaw. That bastard! That anti-Semitic pig – I have no other words. He was in complete solidarity with Hitler in his anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic sentiment and, moreover, he proposed erecting a monument to Hitler in Warsaw for persecuting the Jewish people. And he wrote to his patron, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, apparently hoping for understanding and approval. He would not have written this without a reason.

I won’t go into more detail now, but in any case, I want to emphasise again: we have enough materials to prevent anyone from corrupting the memory of our fathers, our grandfathers, and all those who gave their lives for the victory over Nazism.

I just want to note that this kind of people, people like the ones who were negotiating with Hitler back then, they now deface monuments to the liberator soldiers, Red Army soldiers who liberated the countries of Europe and the European peoples from Nazism. These are their followers. In this sense, unfortunately, little has changed. And we must keep this in mind, also with regard to the development of our Armed Forces.





Here is what I would like to say in this regard, which I think is critically important. Please note: neither the Soviet Union, nor Russia have ever tried to create a threat to other countries. We were always catching up in this regard. The United States created the atomic bomb, and the Soviet Union caught up with it. We did not have nuclear weapon delivery vehicles or carriers. There was no such thing as strategic aviation, and the Soviet Union was catching up in this area, as well. The first intercontinental missiles actually were not built here, and the Soviet Union was trying to catch up.

Today, we have a unique situation in our new and recent history. They try to catch up with us. Not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons. We already have Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile systems in the field, and Peresvet laser combat systems have already been deployed with the troops as well.

The Minister just told us that we have begun to equip the first regiment of the Strategic Missile Forces with the latest Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle. Work on other systems is underway, including Sarmat boosted intercontinental ballistic missile; Zircon ground- and sea-based hypersonic rockets; the Poseidon UUV; and the Burevestnik nuclear-armed cruise missile.

Other systems have been fielded as well, including the ones that were tested during various exercises and in combat conditions in Syria, such as Kalibr cruise missiles.

There are also other technologies. They are not covered much in the media, but they do exist, are sent to the army and are operational.

In this regard, I would like to say that even though we spend much less than other countries (we rank 7th at this point, the Minister said, and could even slide to the 9th), this does not mean that we are ready to compromise our combat readiness. No. All we are doing we are doing according to a plan.

At one of the board meetings I deliberately said, and maybe someone in the audience remembers it; I would like to repeat what I said back then. I didn’t say it accidentally. I said it because it represents our competitive advantage and it is about our ability to maintain the defence capability we need. What exactly will help us move forward? I said then literally the following: brains, intelligence, better organisation of work, minimising theft and negligence, and concentrating efforts on key areas will lead us to a high state of defence capability.

Please build your work in this way in the new year. Happy New Year! I wish you every success. Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/62401
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Reply

Share


Thread
Display Modes


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:44 AM.
Page generated in 2.19371 seconds.