The President’s
news conference was broadcast live by Rossiya 1, Rossiya 24
and Channel One, as well as Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio
Rossii radio stations.
December
14, 2017
15:50
Moscow
36
of 38
Vladimir
Putin’s annual news conference.
President
of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.
I have
brought some notes with me, mostly the main socioeconomic development
indicators. If I get a chance, which is very likely (somebody
thoughtfully provided me with more data here), I will use your questions
to speak once again about what I believe is very important. Very
close to what is going to happen in the near future.
Like
last time, I suggest I do not embark on a long monologue.
Instead, we can go straight to your pressing questions. This is a news
conference and it must completely focus on your professional duty,
which is to ask the questions that, in your opinion, are
of concern to our people and society.
Please,
let’s start.
Presidential
Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov: We have a tradition to give
the opportunity to ask the first question
to the veteran members of the Kremlin pool. But
I would like to go against the tradition this time
and to give the floor to the Govorit Moskva radio
station. The reason is that, first, they represent a new generation
of journalists, and second, Govorit Moskva is one
of the most active media outlets in our daily work; they ask
the largest number of questions.
Please.
Darya
Knorre: Thank you, Mr Peskov. Quite a surprise.
Darya
Knorre, Govorit Moskva [This is Moscow Speaking] radio station.
Mr
President, why have you decided to run for re-election? What is your
goal and mission? What do you want to do for Russia? How should
Russia change by the end of your next term, provided you win
the election?
Thank
you.
Vladimir
Putin: You know I have spoken many times about a Russia
I would like to see. I have done this at large events
and at low-key events. I will say it again: Russia must be
spearheaded into the future. It must become a modern country with
a flexible political system, its economy must be based on high
technology, and labour efficiency must increase manifold.
I would
prefer not to talk about my election programme at this point.
Just like any other candidate I will certainly have one. In fact,
my programme is almost ready.
Let
me repeat that this is probably not the right format for presenting
it, but I can share with you some of its highlights that should be
the focus of attention for the authorities and society
in general.
Specifically,
this has to do with infrastructure development, healthcare
and education. This is also about high technology, as I have
already said, and improving labour efficiency.
There
is no doubt that the ultimate goal of all these initiatives should be
to increase household incomes in our country. This is what I can
say about my programme in the most general terms. I think
that during today’s conversation we will come back to these matters.
Dmitry
Peskov: Life News.
Alexander
Yunashev: Good afternoon, Mr President.
While
we were waiting for your announcement that you will run
for president, a number of other candidates for this office
came forward. However, their approval ratings are in the single
digits, if not closer to the margin of error.
In your
opinion, why is it that a normal, influential opposition candidate has not
emerged in almost 20 years of your rule? Why is there no No. 2
politician? How come? Don’t you feel bored? Is it interesting for you
to compete in the election without any major opponents?
Vladimir Putin: In order to make your question a bit more poignant,
I saw a young lady holding up a poster saying “Putin, bye-bye.”
Remark:
Putin, babay.
Vladimir Putin: Ah, babay. My vision does not seem to be getting any better
with age. I am sorry.
Dmitry
Peskov: Pass the microphone, please.
Question:
Good afternoon.
This
is about translation problems. Everyone is afraid of me today.
My poster says “Putin, babay,” which in the Tatar language means
“Grandfather Putin.” This is how children call you in our republic.
My question
is about children and language. I can ask it right now or after
my colleague.
Vladimir Putin: To save you the bother of standing up twice, you can go
ahead and ask it right away.
Question:
You know that the language issue turned up the heat
in a number of regions, including our republic, this year.
Of course, we are afraid of things becoming worse than they are now.
A decision was adopted by the Education Ministry.
However,
we would like to hear from you whether in one, two or three
years you will raise the ethnic issue again. Do you have any plans
to merge regions, as people are saying right now? This is
a matter of grave concern for many people.
Vladimir Putin: First, I think there are no serious problems with
the ethnic issue, as you put it.
Second,
we have only one goal regarding language: to provide the same
starting conditions for all children, no matter where they live
in Russia.
We
are talking about Tatarstan now, which I love and where I have
many friends. But Tatars live not only in Tatarstan. About half
of them live in other Russian regions. And all of them must
have equal starting conditions.
When
people know their national language, which is very important,
and I will talk about this later, but have a poor knowledge
of the dominant spoken language, the Russian language, which is
the tuition language at our universities, this is not good
for the children who live in Tatarstan. This is how I see
it.
What
we definitely must do is guarantee an opportunity to study
the national language, not only the Tatar language, but also
the Mari, Chechen, Yakut or any other language.
Thankfully,
we have a huge variety of national languages. They constitute our
cultural and language diversity and are our pride and our
wealth. We must certainly support this.
This
is all.
Remark: What
about merging the regions?
Vladimir Putin: Merging regions, yes.
No,
we do not have plans like this, but it should be said that following
the developments of the early 1990s, when the Soviet Union
fell, the new federation entities were created based on old
principles, which is why many of them are unsound economically.
Overall,
enlarging regions could be good in terms of economic expediency.
However, I want to say this now so that people in Tatarstan
and other national republics and autonomous regions will hear me: We
will not impose our views on the regions.
I believe
this would be very harmful and dangerous to the unity
of the Russian Federation. Any people, big or small, must be
free to choose an acceptable and the best possible way
to coexist with the other Russian peoples.
So,
there are no and cannot be any state plans to enlarge or merge
regions, at least not while I hold office.
As for the opposition
and why there is no competitive opposition in the country,
the simplest answer would be that nurturing rivals is not what I need
to do.
However,
you might be surprised but I do believe that we should have not only
economic but also political competition.
Of course,
I would be happy if we had a balanced political system. I want
this, and I will work towards this. And a balanced
political system is unthinkable without competition.
Why
do we seem to have vocal and proactive opposition members
in this country but they do not really provide any serious competition
to the incumbent authorities? You know, Russia’s path
in the past decades has been quite remarkable, to put it mildly.
Why is that? Of course, some younger people do not remember or do not
even know what was happening here in the 1990s
and the early 2000s. So they cannot really compare it
to the present situation.
We
have many problems. We are here today primarily to discuss those problems,
without any whitewashing. However, Russia’s GDP has increased by 75
percent since 2000, industrial production by 60 percent. Processing
industries have grown at increased rates, 70 percent accordingly. Actual
wages have somewhat declined as a result of the crisis
developments of the past three years, and we will discuss this
today, too. Still, since the early 2000s, real incomes have gone up
by 250 percent, and real pensions by 260 percent. Infant
mortality has decreased 2.6-fold and maternal mortality by 75 percent.
Population decline in Russia used to be almost one million
a year. We have reversed the demographic situation. There are still
some issues and we will most likely mention them today. However, we have
reversed it. We are now facing two declines, a ‘demographic pit.’
Additional measures will be taken, which I will mention today. I am
certain we can cope with these challenges. Life expectancy used to be 65
or 65.3 years and now it is almost 73. We lived in conditions
of civil war for a long time, for several years, almost six
years if not more. More, almost ten years. The country was forced
to send 18- and 19-year-old boys, unprepared and untrained,
to face bullets because there was no other choice. Now look at our
army. Our debt has decreased three-fold and the national reserves
have increased 30 times. This is something.
When
we talk about the opposition, it is important to not just make noise
out there on public squares or behind the scenes, and talk
about a regime that is against the people. It is important
to offer something, some improvement. Of course, people are
dissatisfied with many things today and it is their right to be
dissatisfied because our results could have been better. But when they look
at what the leaders of the so-called opposition offer, both
official and especially unofficial opposition, they start to question
it.
This
is, I think, the biggest problem of those who want
to become a competitive opposition. They need to offer
a tangible agenda, not something imaginary, not just loudmouthing.
An agenda that people would believe in. I hope it happens eventually,
and the sooner, the better.
Dmitry
Peskov: I cannot help but give the floor to Andrei Kolesnikov.
He has been covering the President’s activities for 18 years now.
Andrei
Kolesnikov: Strictly speaking, 15, but that’s also a lot.
Andrei
Kolesnikov, Kommersant newspaper.
Mr
President, I have a simple and straightforward question:
in what capacity are you going to run for presidential office?
Let
me clarify. You can run as a self-nominated candidate,
a representative of a public organisation, or a party
candidate. So, who will you be running as?
As a follow-up
to this question, it is rumoured that there are disagreements in your
Executive Office as to who will be heading the campaign office.
If there are no such disagreements, then, perhaps, you can name this person
now? Does it matter to you anyway?
Thank
you.
Vladimir Putin: It will be a self-nomination. Of course, I very much
count on the support of the political forces regardless
of their organisation form – parties or public
organisations – that share my views on the country’s
development and have faith in me. Of course, I am counting
on it. In general, I am looking forward to receiving broad
support of our citizens.
As for the campaign
office, we talked about this just yesterday. So far, the final solution
has yet to be reached. With regard to disagreements, which are always
there since we operate in a lively environment: there is discussion
and disagreement, but only until we reach a common solution. With
regard to this issue – it is technical, but still important –
I would like, of course, to see people of authority who are
well known across the country, who, I reiterate, sincerely support
the policy pursued over the past few years.
Maria
Kravtsova: Good afternoon,
Maria
Kravtsova, Klops.Ru news website, Kaliningrad.
Mr
President, a lot of people come to your annual news conference
and the Direct Line event. They ask you to help them resolve
their problems, including personal problems, like the gravely ill young
lady from the town of Apatity who was hospitalised only after you
gave the instruction.
Why,
do you think, so many people believe that asking you, the President,
for help is the only way to resolve their problems? How much
time would it take to resolve all the problems in Russia using
this hands-on management approach?
If
I may, a brief second question that directly concerns Kaliningrad.
Not long ago you were in Kaliningrad, and the issue
of the construction of the Maritime Ring highway –
the continuation of the Svetlogorsk-Baltiysk road – was
effectively resolved. But there is also the last stretch from Baltiysk
to Kaliningrad. This is also very important. The financial issues
regarding the first issue have been resolved, which is not the case
with the second. Can the federal authorities participate
in the construction of the Maritime Ring from Baltiysk
to Kaliningrad in any way?
Thank
you.
Vladimir
Putin: I think when I answered the first question I said
that one of the priorities for the Government
and the state in general for the years to come
was infrastructure development.
This
primarily concerns road networks, airports, ports, communications, etc. In this
context, it is clear that any road construction project, especially within
an enclave territory like Kaliningrad, will be a priority
for us.
You have
already mentioned the decisions that were adopted. I think that all
the undertakings should be brought to fruition. This means that we
need both the circular road, and the road branching off it.
Otherwise, Kaliningrad would be unable to develop as it deserves to.
For this
reason, I cannot tell you right now for certain that tomorrow this
decision will be approved, since we must take into consideration the needs
of other regions and the resources we can obtain.
When
I answered this question, I said that we have a number
of priorities, including infrastructure, healthcare, education, high
technology, as I have already said, and of course
increasing household incomes. But there must be growth drivers.
There is
no concealing the fact that we have been holding weekly meetings with
Government members and experts for quite a while, maybe even
all-year around, and especially over the last twelve months,
to discuss the growth drivers. Where can they be found?
By the way,
when you go into detail and become specific, even many experts who are
quite liberal in their views agree that the growth drivers they have
been talking about were not real or should not be relied upon.
All this
becomes clear once you look at the details instead of perorating
that “we will come and do this and that so that everything will be
great.” But when you get specific and ask what will be the outcome if
we do this, that and the other, you get the answer that there
will be nothing or very little.
For this
reason, I cannot answer your question at this point. That said, we
will obviously think about it, work on it and implement these
programmes.
What was
the first part of your question?
Oh yes,
so-called hands-on management.
You
know, the hands-on management myth is strongly exaggerated. Both
in the regions and at the federal level,
in the current mode – I am saying this as someone who
headed the Government for four and a half years: [first]
in 1999 and I completed the full four-year term not long
ago – you can’t imagine what a huge amount of work flows through
the Government.
This is
the hardest and most difficult job within the administrative
system. Considering each particular issue… you can’t even look at it long
enough, let alone study it. And it’s the same
in the regions. In the regions, we often can’t even reach
out to them; we sometimes don’t even know what is going on there.
This is bad of course; we should be aware of everything.
But this
is why we are holding this event, and annual news conferences,
and Direct Lines, no matter how some people criticise them or say
that they are too formal. This is not so.
This is
the feedback we need, when people can directly reach national leaders.
And yes, when this comes up, so-called hands-on management is needed,
which is designed to systematize this work.
You must
have noticed that after the last Direct Line, during my regular
meetings with regional governors, I always roll out the problems
which their citizens address to the president. I mean that this
has a continuation and, in this sense, I don’t see anything
wrong with it. This only adds to the general system of our work.
Dmitry
Peskov: Thank you. Let us turn here. Our chief government newspaper, Rossiyskaya
Gazeta. You, please.
Kira
Latukhina: Kira Latukhina, Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Mr
Putin, what is the source of our economic growth that
the Government, the ministers, Mr Oreshkin and others,
constantly talk about? They say the trends show economic recovery, but
what is the source?
Is this
growth based on just adding figures or are there some actual
increases? Have we, perhaps, begun producing more tractors, machines
or computers?
Vladimir Putin:Let us see if there are any questions that are close to yours
that I could add. Are there any more questions on the economy?
“What has been done to incentivise the fish processing industry?”
This specific question deals with fish processing, and we will discuss it
separately.
Remark: Yes,
there are some questions.
Vladimir Putin:Go ahead. What is your question?
Maxim
Rumyantsev: Maxim Rumyantsev, Freepressa.
Mr
President, I have a question about economic development. Over
the past decade, non-profit organisations that supposedly promote solving
environmental problems have blocked 48 projects. In reality, construction
has been blocked, and tens of billions of rubles, as well
as hundreds of thousands of jobs, have been lost. How can
the country develop in such conditions? Economic development is being
blocked even at this stage.
Vladimir Putin: I see.
Maxim
Rumyantsev: And thank you for the road to Serebryanka,
which has now been completed. A Vesti-24 television channel team went
there ahead of the news conference and said, “This is
the Putin-Rumyantsev road.” Thank you very much, Mr President.
Vladimir Putin:Your question is mostly linked with the environment.
Therefore, I will first start replying to the first question,
and then I will try and reply to yours. In any event,
I will do my best.
Regarding
economic growth, the economy is growing, and this is an obvious
fact. There are no exaggerations here. The GDP has grown by 1.6
percent, with industrial output also growing by 1.6 percent.
At the same time, the automotive industry, the chemical
industry, the pharmaceutical sector and, of course, agriculture are
posting very impressive growth rates. We will have about three percent
at the end of the year. We had a record-breaking
harvest.
Alexander
Tkachev said yesterday that the harvest will be around 130.5 million
tonnes, or maybe even more. This is an all-time high in our
entire history. To the best of my knowledge, the RSFSR
posted about 127 million tonnes in 1978. In effect, such
a harvest has never been recorded in the past.
Exports
continue to grow, and they have reached a very impressive scale.
We are now first in the world in terms of grain exports.
This is a brilliant indicator. We are therefore posing growth.
What is
this growth based on? Firstly, it is based on the fact that we have
overcome two shocks in mid-2014 and in 2015. What shocks am
I talking about? This includes plunging fuel and energy prices. It is
common knowledge that fuel and energy exports have been and largely
remain our main source of budget revenue.
On the second
matter, there were external restrictions, the so-called sanctions.
I strongly believe and can say with all confidence that even if we
did feel some impact from the sanctions, it was in no way comparable
to the drop in the price of oil. We can discuss this
in detail later on. This is my first point.
My second
point is that economic development is increasingly being driven
by domestic demand, which is extremely important for any economy.
What
else shows that not only have we overcome the recession, but we have also
moved into the steady development phase? And I really mean
steady development.
Fixed
investment is at 4.2 percent in Russia, while, as I said,
GDP growth is at 1.6 percent. And fixed investment is 4.2 percent.
What does this mean? This means that investment in development is growing
at more than double the pace of the overall economy. This
means that economic development is guaranteed in the short
and even in the medium-term. Funds have already been invested
in these projects.
As of today,
foreign direct investment has reached $23 billion since the beginning
of the year, which is double 2016 and the best result over
the last four years. We have record-low inflation in Russia’s recent
history. As of today, the inflation rate is at 2.5 percent
year-on-year. The budget deficit is as 2.2 percent. I think
the final figure will actually be even lower.
The Finance
Ministry always wants to understate these figures in order
to show that no money can be spent. Maybe they are right. All this goes
to say that the economy is clearly improving and growing.
In this regard, I think that the Economic Development Ministry
and Maxim Oreshkin were unbiased.
As for environmental
issues, you see, this happens all the time. You and I know that
this issue is omnipresent. I am talking about the balance between
environmental protection, nature and development. You always have
to aim for the middle ground. We have already adopted decisions
in this connection. For example, if any trees are cut down as part
of an industrial or infrastructure project, compensatory
planting is required. In this sense, the number of newly planted
forests and trees should be equal to the number of trees
that were cut down to make way for an industrial
or infrastructure project. If we apply the same principle
to other problems, development and nature protection initiatives,
I think we will be moving in the right direction.
Stas Natanzon: Stas Natanzon, Rossiya 24.
Good
afternoon, Mr President.
Next
year will be the 10th anniversary of the slogan “Stop rattling
business.” However, even today businesspeople continue to say that, if
an official, a security officer or a semi-official goes
after their company, they do not stand a chance, be it small or large
business. I also hear that under sanctions and during
the economic difficulties, a corporate raid is basically a crime
against the state. In your opinion, are these officials
and security officers the notorious fifth column, traitors?
Vladimir Putin:I think you are overdramatising. “Traitors,” “fifth column.”
“Oh no! Grab the suitcases, the train is leaving!” Does anybody else
have a question about excessive control or the work of law
enforcement agencies?
Chess,
that is interesting. We will come back to it.
Natalya
Nikitina: The Central Bank and the Prosecutor’s Office.
Vladimir Putin: The Prosecutor’s Office? What about it?
Natalya
Nikitina: Activity of the Central Bank
and the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Vladimir Putin:What about it?
Natalya
Nikitina: Oversight over the Central Bank’s activity.
Vladimir Putin: Oversight over the Central Bank? Give her a microphone,
please.
Natalya
Nikitina: Good afternoon, Mr President.
My name
is Natalya Nikitina. I am an economic observer from the Federal
Press agency.
The banking
industry is currently going through a ‘purge’ on a very large
scale. The Central Bank is watching both state-owned and private
banks very closely. But why do we hardly ever hear about inspections
of the Central Bank itself by law enforcement agencies
and oversight bodies? After all, the Central Bank and its
employees have exceptional powers. Have there been any corruption cases
involving the regulator itself?
Vladimir Putin: Indeed, according to law and global practice,
the Central Bank is an independent institution that is beyond
the Government’s control in its main activity and has complete
autonomy. It makes perfect sense in terms of financial regulation
and oversight of the banking system.
A bit
later, I can elaborate further on what I think about this.
As concerns the Central Bank’s compliance with law, it is controlled
by the Prosecutor General’s Office and other bodies.
I admit that sometimes certain reports come in but none of them
have been confirmed.
Therefore,
firstly, I want to assure you that there is control. Secondly,
I want to stress once again that to this date, we have not found
any serious wrongdoings or violations of the law
by the Central Bank.
As for inspections
in general, you know that we have two- and three-year grace periods
for routine inspections of new businesses. This measure seems
to be effective. Second, supervision agencies are adopting
a risk-based system of inspections, where the focus is
on companies that are concerned with human health
and the operations of vital structural organisations. We are
reducing the number of inspections. Since the woman mentioned
the prosecutor’s offices, it should be said that the majority
of inspections are coordinated with these offices. The number
of planned inspections has been reduced. And the number
of snap inspections should not exceed 30 percent of the planned
inspections; a decision has been taken on this. And lastly, we
will introduce a register of inspections, which should include
information about the inspection agency, the timeframe
and number of inspections, and the results. I believe
that a gradual introduction of these principles should greatly
improve the situation in this area. In general, I believe
that the situation is improving despite some side effects.
Your
other question concerned the operations of law enforcement agencies
rather than inspection agencies. I fully agree with you on this. We
see no improvements so far. The reasons for this include corruption
at all levels, of course, the poor quality of managing the work,
and the lack of proper control in this area. This is
a complicated issue, let’s face it. I cannot say that I am
satisfied with it.
About
a year ago, I invited Mr Bortnikov, the FSB Director, if someone
here does not know the name, to give him the materials
I had received from a source regarding a certain organisation.
He looked though them, and – I am sorry to say – told me:
“Mr President, we conducted an investigation at this organisation six
months ago, following which we initiated proceedings and forwarded
the relevant documents to the court. The entire department
staff was arrested, and all of them are serving prison terms. New
personnel were hired six months ago, and everything began anew there.”
Frankly,
I don’t know sometimes what we can do about this. However, there is
an obvious solution. I believe we are unable so far to do this
for financial, organisational or housing reasons, but this solution
is similar to what we do in the army. It is the rotation
principle, which has been applied for decades. It is a component
of military service, and one of the hardships that come
along with military service. Officers are transferred to a new
deployment site every three to five years. Maybe we should use this approach
in law enforcement. As I said, this also implies
the provision of service housing, as well as considerable
financial outlay. We need to consider everything very thoroughly.
The rotation principle could probably be useful and effective also
in law enforcement.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let us continue. Channel One, please.
Vladimir Putin: Channel One, Vesti-24… just look at him handing out
the microphone to his buddies.
Anton
Vernitsky: I am just sitting close to him. Anton Vernitsky, Channel
One.
Mr
Putin, having entered the current presidential cycle six years ago,
or rather, five and a half years ago, you issued a package
of executive orders, which we all know as the May Executive
Orders. They touched on practically every aspect of life
in Russia, its foreign and defence policy, but, above all,
the social sphere. We, journalists, covered them a lot,
and the governors shuddered every time you gave them a dressing
down for incomplete compliance with some of these executive orders,
such as resettling residents of structurally unsafe housing. What do
you think now, at the end of the current presidential term,
about the level of compliance with the May Executive Orders?
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: As you may remember, when the May Executive Orders were
issued, everybody started complaining that they are unworkable and that
they represent too big a load on the budgets of all levels,
and that this would drag the economy down, that this is not how wage
increases should be planned, and that this is unacceptable, primarily, with
regard to salaries in the public sector, because wage increases
in the public sector will inevitably trigger wage increases
in the economy, and labour productivity in the economy
is not keeping up with wage increases. In fact, there is some truth to this.
Nonetheless, I thought it was the right and necessary thing
to do.
By the way,
when taking previous questions, I mentioned that our economy
in increasingly relying on domestic demand. Even amid declining
individual real incomes, domestic demand and domestic trade are gradually
picking up. Domestic trade is up by 3 percent. I think that
the real income figures will also be improving. If it were not
for the benchmarks set in those Executive Orders in 2012
about the need to ensure growth of salaries
in the public sector for schoolteachers, doctors, university
lecturers, preschool teachers, and so on, then this would not have
happened. It would have been much worse. Therefore, I believe that
my colleagues and I did the right thing back then when we
outlined these targets.
How are
these orders being complied with in general? Approximately 93–94 percent
of the stated goals have been achieved. This applies
to the level of salaries in the public sector
as well. I am sure that everything will be brought to its
logical conclusion in 2018 as planned. These targets will be met.
You
mentioned dilapidated housing. The goal was to get rid
of housing that is not safe for its residents. These are slightly
different categories. With regard to unsafe housing, the issue has
been almost resolved. To reiterate, I am referring to unsafe
structures. However, dilapidated buildings are often not that different from
the structurally unsafe housing stock. However, we are now talking about
benchmarks. Almost all regions have achieved the targets regarding hazardous
housing.
Now,
there was another goal, which is to meet in full the demand
for kindergartens. It has also been achieved by 98.96 percent. When
we started out, more than half a million children were
on the waiting lists. Now, this goal has been achieved in full
in the overwhelming majority of Russia’s regions. There are
several regions where this work is still underway. There are 63,000 children
on the waiting list now. To put this in perspective, we
started out with half a million, and now have 63,000 left. I am
confident that we will close this matter shortly. So, in general,
the May Executive Orders are being carried out in a satisfactory
manner.
Dmitry
Peskov: Pskov, please.
Remark: What
about the Arctic then?
Vladimir Putin: Since Pskov is closer to the Arctic, we will now take
the Arctic too…
Alina
Chaban: Good afternoon, Mr President.
GTRK
Pskov correspondent Alina Chaban.
The problem
is that over the past eighteen months, the cadastral value
of land has increased sharply across Russia, which entailed
an increase in land taxes.
This
affects primarily ordinary people – owners of dachas, garden plots,
and those who live in villages. For example,
in the Pskov Region, the land tax has increased more than
tenfold.
Even
dacha owners in Pskov held rallies. The regional authorities advised
the municipalities to reduce the rates, but the problem
itself has not been resolved.
Mr
President, is it possible to resolve this issue once
and for all?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, this is a real issue.
But
I still promised to hear about the Arctic. What do we have
in the Arctic? What problems?
Darya
Shuchalina: Good afternoon, Mr President.
Darya
Shuchalina, local newspaper Komi mu, Republic of Komi.
This is
our question about the Arctic. In your opinion, what priorities
should the regions have for their project work – I mean
the northern territories – to support Russia in developing
the Arctic? That is, which specific priority projects look promising
as support for the Arctic development strategy?
Vladimir Putin: Let us start with this. We have a whole programme
for the development of the Arctic. What is important here
is the industrial development of the Arctic, including mineral
production, all kinds of commodities, I already mentioned this but
I would like to repeat – rephrasing the great Lomonosov who
said that Russia will expand through Siberia. Now Russia should expand through
the Arctic.
That
soil contains our main mineral reserves. But this resource development should
go hand in hand with care for nature, meeting all
the requirements on economic activity in this very sensitive
region. This is the first point.
Second,
we must ensure security, both environmental security and military security
in this region. I remember when I was on Franz Josef Land,
where a few years ago guides told foreign tourists: these are
the islands that only recently belonged to Russia. They somehow
forgot that those are actually Russian islands, but we have reminded them, so
everything is in order there now. We should not forget this either.
Finally,
there is one more important thing. We must always be mindful
of the interests of the indigenous peoples
of the North. This is extremely important. Interfering with their
traditional economic activity and so forth is unacceptable. If there are
unsurmountable contradictions with major national projects, compensation
and substitution measures are needed. This is a crosscutting objective.
I hope that we will always follow this approach.
I would
like to turn to the first question, since I believe that it
is highly relevant not just for Pskov but for other, if not all,
Russian regions.
Of course,
just as in any part of the world, it is natural that
property owners ensure its maintenance and pay taxes. This is
a natural thing. The cadastral value is the market value, which
is also natural and correct.
What is
wrong are the rates calculated based on cadastral value. These rates
should be based on some real indicators, such as real household
income. They should not be out of touch with reality. Shock treatment
of the kind we had in the 1990s is unacceptable.
At this
point, let us not blame those who took the relevant decisions. People
highlighted this issue from the outset, but those who initiated this
reform promised a balanced approach. What you said shows that these
decisions were not well balanced.
There
are welfare beneficiaries who are entitled to subsidies
on the 10,000 rubles. However, the tax on the land
plots that you have mentioned, the so-called 600 square metres, is higher
than these 10,000 rubles in most regions.
You
mentioned Pskov, but what about Moscow and Lenigrad regions,
and other regions across the Russian Federation surrounding
million-plus cities? For this reason, I will think about issuing
instructions to the Government on this matter. Thank you
for this question.
The Government,
together with members of the State Duma, needs to take
a decision whereby all welfare beneficiaries entitled
to the 10,000 ruble subsidy receive a benefit in kind
and are freed from the obligation to pay any tax on their
600-square-metre land plots. I am talking specifically about
the people entitled to the 10,000 ruble subsidy.
But
I believe that this is not enough. In addition, we need
to expand the list by adding all old-age pensioners to it.
Because first, these people already receive benefits linked with flats
and homes. Therefore, it would be logical and fair to add
old-age pensioners to this list. This will not hurt the state
in any way.
Dmitry
Peskov: Mr President, please do not criticise me, but I must give
the floor to Sergei Brilyov.
Sergei
Brilyov: Good afternoon, Mr President. Sergei Brilyov from Rossiya 1
television channel.
For obvious
reasons, most issues deal with domestic policy today. Mr Peskov is holding
the green folder that you used during your meetings with governors.
And I, nevertheless, would like to ask some short questions about
foreign affairs.
The foundation
of what we had been accustomed to in international relations
started crumbling long before the current aggravation
of the geopolitical situation. The United States withdrew from
the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Then we failed to reach agreement
on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
To our dismay, the Treaty on the Elimination
of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles also started swaying
from side to side. Speaking of long-term prospects, it is unclear
whether the START III Treaty will survive. Supposing that it also becomes
destabilised, will this lead to a new arms race, which will require
Russia to increase its defence spending? Will this affect current
customary social payments, which is a frequent subject of discussion
today?
Thank
you.
Vladimir Putin: We did not withdraw from fundamental treaties that formed
and still form the cornerstone of international security. We did
not withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; the United
States did that unilaterally. We are now hearing talk about problems with
the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range
and Shorter-Range Missiles. It appears that conditions are being created,
and the appropriate information is being promoted
for a possible US withdrawal from this Treaty, as well, all
the more so as Washington has already withdrawn from it de facto.
The United States is trying to reproach and accuse us
of something, but what exactly has it accomplished? It has deployed
systems, allegedly ABM systems, in Romania.
And how
did it deploy them? It has removed sea-launched Aegis launchers from warships
and deployed them on the ground. But these ABM systems’ missiles
can be easily replaced with ordinary medium-range missiles. In effect,
this process is already de facto underway. Nothing good will come of this
trend if it persists. We have no intention of withdrawing from any
document.
The same
is true of the START III Treaty. We can hear the United States
say that it allegedly considers this treaty unprofitable and inappropriate.
There is such talk. If this happens, and if the United States once
again unilaterally withdraws from this treaty, then this would spell dire
consequences in the context of preserving international
stability and security.
And now,
I would like to say a few words about our defence spending. We
know about these processes, we can see them, and we realise
the possible consequences of specific actions. We will ensure our
security without getting involved in an arms race.
Dmitry
Peskov: There was a second part.
Let him
have the microphone, please.
Sergei
Brilyov: Would not the growth of military spending lead to cuts
in social funding?
Vladimir Putin:You know, our military spending is balanced by several substantive
criteria.
First,
we must ensure our security.
And,
second, do this in a way that will not lead to an economic
collapse. We take this approach.
Just
look: next year, for example we plan to spend 1.4 trillion rubles
on purchases and 1.4 trillion rubles on maintenance, which makes
2.8 trillion rubles. This is slightly over 2.8 percent of the GDP.
I named the absolute figures – 2.8 trillion.
At the current exchange rate, that is slightly over $46 billion.
The United
States has signed into law a military spending bill for $700 billion.
Compare $46 plus to $700 and feel the difference. Can our
country afford that kind of spending? No, it cannot. But the $46 plus
is enough for us. You could say that even this amount is too much.
I am
sure you know this popular adage: those who do not want to feed their own
army will feed someone else’s. It is an old one. But there are newer
jokes. I occasionally tell you all sorts of jokes about this.
I can tell you another one; it also has a beard, as we say, but
it is more modern. A former military officer asks his son, “Son,
I had a dagger here. Have you seen my dagger?” The boy
replies, “Dad, don’t be mad. I swapped it for a watch with
the kid next door.” The officer says, “Let me see the watch.” He
looks at it and says, “A good watch, good for you. You
know, gangsters and robbers will come to our house tomorrow. They
will kill me and your mother and will rape your elder sister, but you
will come out to them and say: ‘Good evening, Moscow time is 12.30.’”
We do not want anything like that to happen, do we? So we will pay due
attention to developing the army and the navy without
getting involved in an arms race or ruining our budget.
Dmitry
Peskov: Mr President, I suggest we do it both ways. There are
the Children about the Future, and we also have TeleDetki in the central
sector. Both have taken part in many of these news conferences.
Let them
speak in turns. Please.
Marina
Volynkina: Marina Volynkina, the Odarennye Deti (Gifted Children)
online resource.
Mr
President, I would like to follow your example and tell
a joke: three years ago, you and I had a child,
a clever and talented child.
Vladimir Putin: Thank God for that. It’s a gift from God.
Marina
Volynkina: This was a joke, of course. The truth is that
during the 2014 news conference you supported the idea
of a Gifted Children national online resource, which is growing very
fast with your assistance. We have held very good PatriUm (PatriBrain) events.
The children from all over Russia, from all 85 Russian regions, are
sending their best regards.
On September 1,
you announced a competition for the best composition
titled Russia Focused on the Future. The same day, we
posted information on seven award categories for the best
compositions. We have received 2,500 absolutely unique compositions about
the future of Russia. We have awarded prizes to 115.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Federation Council
on January 19, with support from the Agency for Strategic
Initiatives (ASI).
You have
asked the question. Do you want to know how these talented, unique
children see Russia of the future? They have incredible answers. What
do you say?
Vladimir Putin:Let’s do this. Will you bring all of them here?
Marina
Volynkina: No, come to the awards ceremony
on January 19 at the Federation Council, the ASI will
attend it as well. The children will tell you how they see Russia.
This is something incredible.
Vladimir Putin: Good, I will do my best. Thank you for your work
and for the invitation.
Dmitry
Peskov: TeleDetki, go ahead.
Arina
Zhukova: Good afternoon. I am Arina Zhukova and this is
my colleague, Kirill Sennik. We represent the TeleDetki online
resource from St Petersburg.
What is
the state doing and what will it do in the future
to support gifted children? Do you work with people in culture
and the arts, as well as researchers in this area? Do
you have a vision of what will become of these children
in the future if so much effort and money are being invested
in them now?
We also
know about the Sirius educational centre for gifted children, which
was established at your initiative. Many gifted children from all over
Russia are invited there. What should children from other regions who have not
been selected for this centre do? What is being done to help them?
Vladimir Putin: As for working with gifted children, with children
in general, I would like to say the following. I have
already said it and would like to say again that I believe all
children have talents. The trick is to bring these talents out,
and this is the job of teachers, of parents.
By the way,
this is not a common phrase. Today our specialists, who work both
in Russia and abroad, are carrying out research in the area
of cognitive science.
You have
mentioned Sirius. It is not just a camp; it is an educational centre
for gifted children. We would like to build contemporary world-class
scientific laboratories working in several areas (this is also
my initiative) next to Sirius, where the media centre once was
(many of you probably worked there during the Olympics). It is
a large site, I believe it is the size of about four Red
Squares.
These
areas include information technology, biology and genetics as well
as cognitive science, primarily to study ways and methods
of working with gifted children and bringing out their talents.
An entire new field is being organised now.
That is
why we will continue to do this, both in science
and in practice. However, there are other camps developing now:
Artek, Okean and Orlyonok in the Caucasus.
But this
is not all. Right now, quantoriums – children’s technology parks –
are being established and school Olympiads are held all over Russia. What
is the point and the ultimate goal? To lead children from
school to higher education, and then to employment,
of course, preferably around the country.
Incidentally,
if we go back to what you began with, to Sirius, we have already
found an area of 30 ha next to it, and, in addition
to world-class laboratories, I would also like to build
technology parks, which will work together.
Sirius,
world-class laboratories and technology parks that will bring
to the market what scientists have developed.
But
the best schoolteachers and university instructors are already
working with them. There is also a re-training course for school
teachers.
I would
like to see a number of such institutions across
the country. We have already begun establishing such a network
in the regions of Russia. That is what we are going to do.
Who had
a question about the retirement age? Please, go ahead.
By all
means. We will not forget about the army.
Zulfiya
Sultanova: Good afternoon, Mr President. Zulfiya Sultanova, Chelninskiye
Izvestia.
A lot
has been said over the past year about increasing the retirement age.
Everyone understands that it is only a matter of time. When will
the decision be made, and how much do you think the retirement
age for men and women should be raised by?
Vladimir Putin: You touched upon a sensitive and important matter. I am
not going to tell you now about the final decisions, because they are
not ready yet. You have framed your question as if the decision has
already been made.
Indeed,
those who advocate raising the retirement age are saying that
the retirement age was set in the 1930s. When they set it
at 55 years for women and 60 for men, life expectancy was
about the same, oddly enough. Approximately the same.
All
European countries, all the countries around us, including Belarus,
Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, have already decided to raise
the retirement age. We are the only ones who have not done so.
The proponents
of raising the retirement age are saying that if we do not do so
then, taking into account the increase in life expectancy,
the number of workers will decrease, and the number
of retired people will increase, which will not allow us to properly
balance the pension system.
This
does not mean, though, that the state will not be able to pay
pensions. It will, and there will be no disaster in which payments
stop, but rather the incomes of pensioners will be frozen
and fall due to inflation. This is what the proponents
of raising the retirement age are saying.
They are
also saying that if we decide to raise the retirement age, it should
be raised equally for men and women. Women give birth at 55
years of age now, God bless them.
However,
there are those who warn about problems associated with raising
the retirement age. They say that they want our economy to be driven
by innovations and digital technology to play the key role
in it.
This
means that what can be achieved in the economy
and at enterprises, in the sphere of real production,
by, say, a thousand workers now, tomorrow will be achieved by not
more than a hundred, plus we will increase the retirement age
to 63 or 65, as some suggest.
What are
we going to do with the people who will be thus freed from work? What
will happen to the labour market? There are other considerations
as well. In order to make a final decision, we need
to crunch the numbers. I am not saying this to avoid
answering your question, but to crunch the numbers for each
position and see where it leads.
Of course,
no matter what the final decision will be, this will not affect those who
have already retired. This is my first point. Second, of course, this
should not come as a shock. This should not be done in one stroke,
but, as in many countries, gradually and smoothly either
in the course of six months or a year.
To reiterate,
no final decision has been made yet. There is another extremely important
consideration. Such decisions cannot be taken behind closed doors, even
at the level of the Government.
This
should be done openly, with the involvement of the public and,
of course, as part of an open discussion
in representative bodies, including the parliament.
Dmitry
Peskov: Mr. Putin, how about questions on sports. I suggest
combining questions. I saw Sovetsky Sport, Match TV,
and a poster with a sort of anti-sports slogan “Rodchenkov
and his life in Russia” that one journalist was holding. Let us start
with Match TV. Please, be very brief.
Olga
Bogoslovskaya: Olga Bogoslovskaya, Match TV.
Mr.
Putin, I obviously have a question on sports, specifically,
on the situation with the International Olympic Committee
and the World Anti-Doping Agency. How do you see Russia’s relations
with these organisations? In addition, the current situation is
really very tense and complicated. Can you think of a solution?
Vladimir Putin: Both some of my colleagues and I have said this
before, this whole scandal was whipped up in the run-up
to Russian domestic political events. No matter what anybody says –
I am sure that is the way it is. No matter what they say, I know
that this is so.
But
at the same time, and we have said this before,
as well – we have ourselves to blame; we gave them a reason
for this to start, since there actually were recorded cases
of using performance enhancing drugs.
In other
countries, however, there have been similar cases, except there was no such
political frenzy. There is no doubt that this whole situation is politically
motivated.
There
are other systemic issues in world sport. For example, some are
permitted to take drugs for health reasons – the same drugs
that are prohibited for other athletes – that were allegedly
prescribed to them after surgery or due to medical conditions
they have had since childhood.
However,
this is very odd, because this gives some athletes a competitive edge over
others. But maybe these athletes that take drugs that others cannot should
perform outside the competition or something like that, I don’t
know.
I do
not want to offend anyone or hurt anyone’s feelings, because all
athletes work hard, do their best and deserve respect. Nevertheless, there
are rules in competition, and they must be respected, too.
How are
we going to manage our relations with the IOC and WADA?
In a constructive way, I hope. We are going to continue
working with them, to address the issues that we have, but,
of course, defending the interests of our athletes
at the same time, and in courts, too.
I know
that some international officials do not want this, but what can we do? We have
to help our athletes defend their honour and dignity
in the civil courts.
Dmitry
Peskov: Yes, do you have a question?
Microphone
over there, please.
Oleg
Lurie: Good afternoon. Oleg Lurye, Mir i Politika magazine.
Grigory
Rodchenkov, WADA’s main witness, whose testimony led
to the suspension of the Russian team, was under criminal
investigation in 2011 for illicit trade in doping substances
and guaranteeing to mid-level athletes that they would not be caught.
After
the charges were filed against him, he made a suicide attempt: he
stabbed himself with a knife, while under the influence
of alcohol. After that he underwent a medical examination
and was found to suffer from a mental disorder, a schizotypal
disorder to be more precise.
From
that point on things got very strange. All of a sudden, his
status was changed to that of a witness, and only one count
out of 12 was maintained. And then he came back as the head
of RUSADA.
Will
there be an investigation into how this criminal case was conducted
and why his status was changed from a defendant
to a witness? By the way, the criminal investigation
has been reopened.
How can
a suicidal individual who used to sell performance enhancing drugs
return as the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency? Who
was behind this move? Will we ever find out the names, passwords
and other secrets? Will people who covered up for Rodchenkov be
punished?
Vladimir
Putin: This is a highly relevant question. It is really strange that
an individual who had lived in North America for several years
then came to Russia, but there is nothing strange in that he headed
the agency. But the fact that he was suspected of selling
performance enhancing drugs, and I think that his sister was
convicted for that…
Remark:
Got an eighteen-month prison term.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, eighteen months. You see, you know this case even better than
I do. What is even more strange to me is that a person who had
worked for secret services for a long time brought all this bad
stuff from North America, from the US and Canada. Who helped him get
customs clearance despite the strict control? He was doing it
for years.
Of course,
many things come to mind in this respect. Yes, this was
a mistake of the people and agencies that brought him
there. You cannot work with people who try to commit suicide
for whatever reason. This means that they have a psychological
problem. This goes to say that you cannot make decisions based exclusively
on the testimony of people like that.
Look
what the reasoning for the decision
by the International Olympic Committee says: first, that he is
an honest person, second that he is protected by the FBI,
and third that everything is in his diary.
I am
sorry, but that’s just nonsense. First, who said that he is an honest
person? After all, he faced charges and was involved in fraudulent
activity. Even more importantly, he blatantly admitted that what mattered
the most to him was money.
Regarding
him being protected by the FBI, this is not an advantage but
rather a disadvantage for us, since this means that his actions are
controlled by the US intelligence services. What are they doing with
him? What drugs are they giving him to make him say what they want him
to say? This is just ridiculous.
And finally,
regarding the idea that everything is in his diaries. So what? When
was it all written? Where? How did he do it? Nobody knows. That is it,
and nothing more.
They
mention scratches on bottles. But they were duly handed over and we
signed a statement to this effect. Where did these scratches appear?
When? They simply do not have anything else.
We
respect international sports organisations, including WADA and even more
so the IOC, and we have a lot of friends there. But we
realise that it is not easy for them. They are under pressure all
the time and are even intimidated. No matter what they say after
hearing my words, this is the way it is.
In any
case, even if they have to take any action, their findings have to be
based on something. This is what I am talking about. How did it
happen that this person headed the Russian anti-doping agency? Of course,
the people who put him there made a mistake. I know who it was.
But what is the point talking about it now?
Dmitry
Peskov: Sovetsky Sport, go ahead please, but be very brief.
Nikolai
Yaremenko: I will.
Nikolai
Yaremenko, Sovetsky Sport.
I will
not speak at length about our publication, which is one
of the oldest because we saw on TV that Mr Putin subscribes
to Sovetsky Sport.
We all
know that Russia can host large sport competitions really well. The Sochi
Olympics were a brilliant example. There is no doubt that even when we are
short of time we will finish it off, clean it up and complete
the construction.
Next
year we will host the coolest event – the FIFA World Cup. We are
all looking forward to it. It will be a real festival,
a holiday. I am sure everything will be done at the highest
level.
We know
that large cities like Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi are used
to hosting such events and know how to do it. But there are many
cities where foreign guests still seem exotic. Are there any reasons
to doubt that they will successfully deal with this?
Vladimir Putin: No doubt. You were correct in saying that we have extensive
experience in successfully hosting major international competitions.
I will not quote examples to save time.
The Confederations
Cup was held at the highest level. It is very important for us
that FIFA inspectors are monitoring the preparations. Everything is being
done on schedule.
I must
admit for the sake of objectivity that of the 12
stadiums being built in 11 cities, including the two in Moscow,
there is a two-month delay with the construction of one. But
this will be fixed and I am sure everything will be done well
and on time.
I would
like to emphasise that less than half of all the expenses come
from the budget and more than half from private sources.
Indicatively, government funds are being used in the same way
as for preparations for the Olympics in Sochi:
for building the infrastructure – roads, access ways, airports,
railway stations and the like. I am sure everything will be done
well and on time.
Dmitry
Peskov: Thank you. Mr President, you haven’t had any questions from
foreign journalists today. I suggest a question from ABC News.
Terry
Moran: Thank you, Mr President. Terry Moran with ABC News.
First,
in the United States investigations by Congress,
the Department of Justice and the media have uncovered
a very large number of contacts between Russian citizens associated
with your government and high officials of the Trump campaign.
And some of those officials are now being prosecuted for lying
about those contacts. All this is not normal. And many Americans are
saying where there is that much smoke there must be fire. How would you explain
to Americans the sheer number of contact between the Trump
campaign and your government?
And second,
if I may. It has almost been a year since Donald Trump has been
elected president. You praised Donald Trump during the campaign. What is
your assessment of Donald Trump as president after one year? Spasibo.
Vladimir Putin: Let us begin with the second part of your question. It is
not for me to evaluate Donald Trump’s work. This should be done
by his electorate, the American people. But we do see some major
achievements, even over the short period he has been in office. Look
at the markets, which have grown. This is evidence of investors’
trust in the US economy. This means they trust what President Trump
is doing in this area. With all due respect to President Trump’s
opposition in the United States, these are objective factors.
There
are also things he would probably like to do but has not been able
to do so far, such as a healthcare reform and several other
areas. By the way, he said his intentions in foreign policy
included improving relations with Russia. It is clear that he has been unable
to do this because of the obvious constraints, even if he wanted
to. In fact, I do not know if he still wants to or has
exhausted the desire to do this; you should ask him. I hope that
he does and that we will eventually normalise our relations to the benefit
of the American and Russian people, and that we will
continue to develop and will overcome the common
and well-known threats, such as terrorism, environmental problems,
weapons of mass destruction, crises around the world, including
in the Middle East, the North Korean problem, etc. There are
many things we can do much more effectively together in the interests
of our people than we are doing them now. Actually, we can do everything
more effectively together.
Terry
Moran: How would you explain the connection between
the government, your government, and the Trump campaign? How
would you explain it to Americans?
Vladimir Putin: (In English.) I see, I see. (In Russian.) You
know that all this was invented by the people who stand
in opposition to Mr Trump to present his work
as illegitimate. It seems strange to me, and I mean it,
that the people who are doing this do not seem to realise that they
are damaging the internal political climate in the country, that
they are decimating the possibilities of the elected head
of state. This means that they do not respect the people who voted
for him.
How do
you see any election process worldwide? Do we need to ban any contacts
at all? Our ambassador has been accused of meeting with someone. But
this is standard international practice when a diplomatic representative
and even Government members meet with all the candidates, their
teams, when they discuss various issues and development prospects, when
they want to understand what certain people will do after assuming power
and how to respond to this. What kind of extraordinary
things did anyone see in this? And why should all this take
on the nature of spy mania?
You have
watched the investigation on social media. The share
of Russian corporate advertising makes up less than 0.01 percent, with
that of American companies totaling 100, 200 and 300 percent. It is
simply incomparable. But, for some reason, even this is seen
as excessive. This is some kind of gibberish.
The same
can be said about the situation with our media outlets, including RT
and Sputnik. But their share in the overall information volume
is negligible, as compared to the share of global US media
outlets all over the world and in Russia. And this is seen
as a threat. Then what about freedom of the media? This is
actually a cornerstone, on which American democracy itself is based.
All
of us should realise that someone succeeds and someone does not. We
need to draw conclusions from this and move on, instead
of pouncing on one another like animals. We need to think about
this and draw conclusions.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let us go to that sector. TVC, you have the floor.
Lilia
Akinshina: Lilia Akinshina from TV Centre.
Mr
President, I have a question about the economy, as you
requested, and it deals with the Central Bank’s monetary policies.
You have
already spoken about the record-low inflation, and the benchmark
rate continues to decrease slowly but surely. Nevertheless, people
continue to criticise the Central Bank, although inflation targeting
was among this year’s main trends. Earlier, many people were skeptical that it
would be possible to reduce inflation, but the Central Bank has
accomplished this. Nevertheless, the discussion continues. Some economists
are saying that what is good for ordinary consumers, including reduced
price hikes on the previous period, amounts to a not very
healthy situation, if not death, in terms of the national
economy’s scale and prospects.
How
optimal do you think is the inflation targeting policy? Has it yielded
results? How justified are the business community’s complaints that
the country does not have enough available funding and affordable
loans for expanding production and facilitating economic development?
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Targeting inflation is the right thing to do. If we want
the economy to be healthy, so that it inspires confidence
in investors, this should be an indispensable part of our
policy. I mean a balanced budget and monetary policy, which is
the responsibility of the Central Bank.
Is
the criticism coming from businesses understandable? Yes, it is.
Of course, they want more loans at a lower rate. The point
is that this should be done carefully and not overdone, otherwise
the economy fills with bubbles – they borrow a lot of cheap
money, invest in low-potential enterprises rolling out goods
and services that are not in demand. That's the main thing, that
is what matters.
What has
happened over the past few years? While last year, the Central Bank
cut its rate twice, from eleven to ten percent, this year,
the regulator cut the key rate five times. Now it is 8.25 percent.
The Central
Bank has announced the targets of its further work. Around 2020, if
I remember correctly, the key rate will be 6 to 7 percent.
Interest rates on commercial loans decline following the key rate
(this is one of the important factors, but not the only one).
Now it is a weighted average – 10.08 percent for non-financial
institutions, I think, but naturally higher for small
and medium-sized businesses – 13–14 percent on average. There
are higher and lower examples of course.
What
else does the Central Bank do? A decision was made
to restructure banking institutions. Holders of some form
of general license to work with large clients, with large businesses,
will be required to have an authorized capital of at least
one billion. Holders of a basic license – at least three
hundred million. It is assumed that they will serve small and medium-sized
businesses, including in the regions. In my opinion, we
have too many banks for our economy, for its level
of development – 521 banks or so. I am not saying they have
to be choked, because this would do harm. Still, we need to improve
the financial system primarily for the benefit of its
clients. It is extremely important, especially amid fluctuations in world
markets and the difficulties inside the country, to make
sure that clients do not face insoluble problems.
We have
two agencies that are working to improve the banking system:
the DIA (Deposit Insurance Agency) and the recently established
fund. I think this is very important, I mean this new fund. Why?
Because when banks are rehabilitated through this fund, it is already decided
that the money, the credit resources received from the bank
by the bank owners or executives, are factored out. That is,
those people who have brought their financial institutions
to the brink do not get any money. This, in my opinion, is
extremely important.
There is
something else I need to point out, because I have often heard
this criticism of the Central Bank – that the Central Bank
policies are aimed at state control of the banking system. This
is not true. First, I repeat, there are 521 banks or more, 521,
I think, let alone other credit institutions, because not all credit
institutions are banks. This is my first point.
Second,
the Central Bank tells us all, and, again, it is a good thing: if it
takes something under control and even pays for it – it does so
for the purpose of subsequent privatisation. We will assume that
this process will develop in this way.
(Noise
in the room.) Keep it down, please.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let’s not shout.
Vladimir Putin:Just a moment, I have seen a sign saying
Agriculture. What do you want to ask? Please give her a microphone.
Yelena
Agamyan: Mr Putin, I am Yelena Agamyan from the Novosibirsk
State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company.
Siberians
had a record harvest this year but regrettably, it turned out that nobody
needs it because the state decided not to announce interventions this
year since elevators are still full of grain from the 2008 harvest.
It is very difficult to ship this harvest outside the region because
we are located in the centre of the country. It is very
expensive to get this grain either to Novorossiysk
or to Vladivostok. As a result, our farmers are sustaining
huge losses. They are selling the grain for half the price
because they have nowhere to store it. Indeed, they are ready to diversify
and sow something different, but being in their fields, they find it
very hard to understand what the country needs today and what it
will need tomorrow.
Maybe,
it would make sense to return to the system of State
Planning? Maybe there are some other options that will allow farmers not
to sustain record losses after collecting a record harvest? Thank
you.
Vladimir
Putin: You said for “half the price.” It is important
to understand what price you are talking about. Is this the price
that the producer wants to get or is this the market price?
And what is the market price?
There is
no doubt that grain producers need support. It may be provided
in different ways, for instance by state purchases –
I do not think this is ruled out although the Government does not
consider them expedient. It is necessary to think about this.
However,
I am absolutely certain that it is essential to subsidise railway
shipments, as we agreed with the Government. I simply cannot say
now whether the final decision has been made or not but it will be
adopted and it will work. This applies to shipments in general
and exports in particular.
Dmitry
Peskov: Gazeta.ru.
Rustam
Falyakhov: My name is Rustam Falyakhov. I also have
an economic question.
Mr
Putin, to be honest, your answers create the impression that
sometimes you are not properly informed about the state of affairs,
at least in the economy.
I have
a question about taxes and would like to hear a more
realistic answer. Will taxes increase in 2018 and beyond? Today both
business people and citizens are absolutely sure that the authorities
have taken time out before the elections – it is clear why –
and then there will be large-scale tax hikes.
They are
already going up on the sly anyway, indirectly affecting both
business people and the citizens. What is reported to you on this
issue? What will happen with taxes after the elections?
Vladimir Putin:I cannot agree with you that there are efforts to mislead
anyone on taxes. It is true, and unfortunate, that the burden,
including non-tax, is increasing. As you know, I have issued
a related instruction to conduct a thorough analysis
of what is taking place in the regions. And this is mostly
occurring in the regions of the Russian Federation. This is
the first thing, and we will address it.
Undoubtedly,
conditions should be created in the future to prevent this often
unlimited and uncontrolled growth of the non-tax fiscal burden.
And you
are absolutely right that the type of payment makes no difference
to businesses – the main thing is that it comes out
of their pocket, out of their business. That is my first point.
Second,
as regards taxes, we agreed that taxes will not increase by the end
of 2018, and overall, we are following this course. Certain points
can be argued, but overall this holds true for the main categories
of taxes.
As for what
will happen starting 2019, I have already said in my answer
to a question that we have outlined the main areas
for development: infrastructure, healthcare, education, high technology,
reinforcing the army and navy, and so on. But resources have
to be found.
And,
of course, we are thinking hard on these resources and what
could be adjusted in the taxation system and how it could be
done in order to promote the general, key goals of national
economic development; what steps can be taken for the taxation system
to ease the burden on the sectors where we plan
to accelerate growth.
I think
it is still too early to speak about it, because this discussion is
of a sort that first must be implemented at an expert level
and after that proposed for consideration together with
the business community. We are not going to do this in back
rooms, and this applies to certain other issues, such
as the retirement age and others.
But what
must be the focus of attention now is certain taxes that are
a heavy burden on citizens and business and do not meet
the interests of either citizens themselves or businesses,
or the country overall.
Remark:
Major housing repairs…
Vladimir Putin: Yes, for example, major housing repairs.
Or back
taxes accumulated over several previous years due to the shortcomings
of our tax system, even if it is not the taxpayer’s fault.
If
I am not mistaken, as many as 42 million people have this kind
of tax debt, which amounts to 41 billion. Maybe some
of my liberal opponents will criticise me for what I will
say, but I believe that we should grant relief to these people.
Moreover, this should be done with minimal red tape, without people having
to come to the tax authorities. This is my first point.
Second,
the same should apply to individual entrepreneurs. This is another 15
billion rubles and about three million people, 2.9 million in fact.
For example, someone starts a business, and something goes
wrong, but this does not stop tax liabilities from piling up. These people
should be relieved from liabilities of this kind.
Third,
we need to design the system in a way that creates
incentives for taxpayers, so that they are not afraid to come
to the tax authorities even when they miss a deadline.
Of course, tax discipline is important. But it should not be excessive.
Finally,
there is another situation that requires special attention. I am referring
to the so-called notional income. Let me explain for those who
do not know what this means. For example, someone is dispensed from paying
back loans or telephone bills. Under the current laws, this is viewed
as a notional income, which is taxable. This is the case
for another three million people, and their tax liabilities are also
in the billions.
These
liabilities should be written off. They make absolutely no sense, undermine
economic development and create an unjustified tax burden.
I think that we will do this very soon.
Dmitry
Peskov: Ufa, please. Give the microphone to Ufa, please.
Stanislav
Shakhov: Good afternoon. Stanislav Shakhov, Ufa, Obshchestvennaya
Elektonnaya Gazeta newspaper.
I would
like to follow up on taxes. Getting federal funds is a headache
for any region. For example, Bashkiria collects 100 billion
in taxes, transfers 50 billion to the federal budget,
and after that, it has to send numerous delegations to Moscow
to get 30 billion worth of subsidies.
Do you
believe a tax reform is necessary to make it possible
for the regions to keep a larger portion
of the funds they collect? For example, until 2010
the regions were entitled to five percent of the minerals
extraction tax.
This
would enable regions to better manage their funds, including launching
road renovation on time, and not in December, when
the federal money finally arrives and has to be put to use.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, but I will not tell you about the solutions that are
on the table. Let me be honest, we are discussing these solutions. We
raised this issue as recently as last week. We discussed road
construction and revenues generated by regions.
Incidentally,
you may know that we resolved to restructure regional debt. Are there any
other questions on regional debt? Go ahead. This way I will answer
all these questions together.
Ulyana
Gatina: Good afternoon. Veliky Novgorod.
My name
is Ulyana Gatina. Vashi Novosti [Your News] online newspaper.
My question
is also about the regions’ debts. My region is no exception. Like
many others, it is a heavily subsidised region. Unfortunately, we lack
funding for the social sector, education, healthcare and other
areas. Veliky Novgorod alone has a debt of around two billion rubles,
which almost equals its revenue.
My question
is: how are regions like mine supposed to survive? We want to survive
and, instead of approving a budget of hopelessness every year,
approve a budget of opportunities. And there are many regions
like ours. What can be done to balance the poor regions with
the so-called donors so that neither would feel deprived and people
had equal quality of life across the country? Perhaps debt
restructuring is a solution to this problem.
Mr
President, let me hand this over to you. It is my civic duty.
I have been looking at the problem of low funding
for pre-schools and schools for three years. Let me give you
a visual presentation of what kind of kindergartens we have
in the country.
Vladimir Putin: I will take a look. My assistants will pass it
to me.
Dmitry
Peskov: We will take it after the news conference. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: One moment, I need to answer the question. These two
questions from Ufa and Veliky Novgorod about donor and recipient
regions are indeed related.
We
believe that, as you rightly noted, people, wherever they live
in Russia, must have a similar quality of live. Understandably,
it is very difficult to achieve. We know that regions just developed
differently for various reasons.
But it
is not the people’s fault that they live in regions that are not
self-sufficient. And so what have we been doing for years? Levelling
out their budget revenues with the revenues of the regions
in which the country has invested huge resources over decades
and maybe even a hundred years. These investment and resources
may have also come from the regions which are today qualified as not
self-sufficient.
Therefore,
it is fair to re-distribute the resources from the 12 donor
regions to the others. And we will be doing it carefully,
without undermining the donor regions’ willingness to develop their
economy further.
As for refinancing,
I have spoken about this today, and I believe
the Government has made its views on this public as well. What
decisions have been taken? It has been decided that the debts
of nearly all Russian regions will be restructured for seven years
at 5 percent.
The regions
that increase their tax base by at least the inflation rate will
be allowed to repay their debt in 12 rather than seven years. This
will give them an aggregate sum of 430 billion rubles, which they
must invest in their financial improvement and in development,
including both social and economic development.
I believe
that this is extremely important. All regions are extremely enthusiastic about
this, including Novgorod Region. Such regions as Novgorod Region will
receive additional assistance. I would like to stress that it will be
additional assistance, besides the one I spoke about.
Few
regions need such additional assistance. There are only three or four
of them. Novgorod is one of them. This assistance will amount
to billions of rubles as well.
There is
one more important thing. No decision has been taken regarding it yet.
I have not even discussed it with the Government so far. We must cut
short the uncontrolled growth of unsubstantiated loans
the regions take out from commercial banks at an economically
unsubstantiated interest rate over and above their ability to repay
debts.
Look
at what is happening. There is often an opportunity to refinance
loans at a lower interest rate at state banks. They do not do
this. Why? Are we talking about collusion between local authorities
and commercial banks? There are also conditions under which commercial
banks do not lend money to businesses but they give money to regions
even if they already have debts and are living over and above their
means. Why are they doing this?
They are
doing this because they know that these regions have state guarantees. This is
why regions take out loans from commercial banks without considering
the consequences. We will have to restrict this practice.
As I said, I have not yet discussed this with anyone. You are
the first to hear this. I do believe that we need to do
this. Something like this.
Dmitry
Peskov: Associated Press, you have the floor.
Kate De
Pury: Kate De Pury, Associated Press.
(In Russian):
If I may, I will also ask my question in English.
(In English): The US
wants Russia to do more to persuade North Korea to halt its
missile programmes. Would Russia support tougher sanctions against North Korea?
And do you think that cooperation on North Korea could warm up
US-Russia relations? Or have you lost hope of mending them under Mr
Trump? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: You are such interesting people. Have you noticed that members
of US Congress and Senate are so nice-looking and beautifully
dressed in fancy suits and shirts? They seem to be intelligent
people. They have put us on the same level with North Korea
and Iran, and at the same time, they continue to prod
the President to talk us into addressing the issues
of North Korea and the Iranian nuclear programme together with
your country.
What is
the matter with you? You must agree that this sounds strange,
and that it somehow goes beyond common sense. However, unlike some
countries, our policy mostly lacks political time-serving considerations.
We are
trying to work constructively with everyone on the most topical
issues in the area of international security. We are trying not
to sulk and not to take offence with someone in response
to decisions that we sometimes fail to understand.
Regarding
North Korea, our position is well known: we do not recognise North Korea’s
nuclear status. We believe that everything taking place there is
counterproductive.
I have
already said this, and I would like to tell you once again that
in 2005 the concerned parties came to an agreement with
North Korea that it would terminate its nuclear weapons programme. North Korea
assumed certain obligations. Everyone agreed and signed these agreements.
Only
several months later, the United States decided that these agreements were
not enough. The US side promptly froze the accounts of North
Korean banks and said that North Korea had to do something else
outside the framework of these agreements.
But
North Korea decided not to bother and withdrew from all those
agreements, and started developing its nuclear programme once again. Why
did you do that? Did you think this was not enough? Then why did you sign
the agreements if you thought it was not enough? In reality, you
provoked North Korea to withdraw. Later, the situation became
aggravated even further with Libya and Iraq. I have spoken about this
many times.
North
Korea sees no other means of self-preservation but to develop weapons
of mass destruction and missile technology. As you can see, their
upgraded missiles are now capable of hitting the United States. Is
there anything good in this situation?
We
believe that both sides need to stop ramping up tensions. At one
point, we heard from our American partners that they would stop military exercises.
Well, they have conducted another exercise, and the North Koreans
have launched their missiles yet again. This spiral has to end because it
is an extremely dangerous thing.
We have
talked with our American partners. Supposing that the United States launches
some strikes with high-precision non-nuclear weapons, what targets will be
attacked? Do the CIA or the Defence Intelligence Agency know
exactly what targets, and where, must be hit with one single strike?
Of course,
they do not because North Korea is a walled-in country. You know some
things, and you have no idea about others. And even one North Korean
missile launch would have disastrous consequences. I repeat,
the consequences would be disastrous.
Yes,
the United States has already used nuclear weapons against Japan.
I do not believe it was justified. Now there is absolutely no need
for this. It is important to be very careful.
Mr
Tillerson has recently said that the United States is prepared to establish
direct contacts. This is a very good message showing that some changes are
taking place among US leaders and at the Department
of State, and that they are coming to recognise certain facts,
hopefully together with the US intelligence community and the Pentagon.
If we
proceed on the basis of common sense, then we will,
of course, cooperate with the United States on all such issues,
including North Korea.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let us take this question.
Vladimir
Putin: Bashkiria is nearby, but in my mind, in my understanding,
Ukraine is also not far from there. Here comes Ukraine, please go ahead.
Roman
Tsymbalyuk: Thank you very much for the opportunity to ask
a question.
However,
I will correct you, Ukraine and Bashkiria are far from each other. We
are only closely familiar with your Buryat people.
This is
not the first time I am asking you a question. The problem
is that you do not answer all the questions. Earlier, you said that you
never concealed the fact that you are sending people to Donbass
to address military issues. In real life, this is called killing
Ukrainian citizens. As a matter of fact, everything is clear
here, and our army knows what to do with these people. But some
of them are taken prisoners and end up in Ukrainian prisons.
They get sentenced, sometimes to life in prison.
Your
third term is coming to an end. What if you do not get re-elected?
Don’t you want to exchange your citizens? This is not so difficult,
because Ukrainians do not leave their people behind. We want to return 65
hostages, of whom you are well aware, not just Sentsov
and Sushchenko, but dozens of Crimean Tatars from Crimea
as well.
(Noise
in the audience)
Vladimir Putin: Keep it down, please.
Roman
Tsymbalyuk: If you do win the election, will you stick to such
an absurd position on Donbass and peacekeepers? In fact,
your people who are addressing issues there engage in carnage
of the people of Donbass, and you should not be afraid
of it, because liberated Ukrainian cities such as Slavyansk
and Mariupol are enjoying a wonderful peaceful life. Thank you.
Dmitry
Peskov: There is more. RIA Novosti also wants to ask a question.
Vladimir Putin: Please, go ahead.
Yelena Glushakova: Lena Glushakova, RIA Novosti. I also
wanted to ask a question about Ukraine, since we are asking questions
in blocks.
The situation
with implementing the Minsk agreements seems disastrous. Do you think they
are still working to settle this conflict?
There is
another related question. The United States constantly holds meetings with
Russian representatives on Ukraine. However, it is not part
of the Normandy Four. Is it perhaps time to make the US
a formal participant of the Normandy format so that it becomes
its fifth member?
If
I may, one more question about the Ukrainian politician Saakashvili.
What do you think about his future in Ukraine and what are
the prospects of that country in general? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: As for the Minsk format, it has not been very
effective, primarily because of the unconstructive position
of representatives of the current Kiev authorities. There is no
desire whatsoever to carry out the Minsk Agreements. There is no
desire whatsoever to start a real political process that can secure
the implementation of an agreement on the special
status of Donbass, which has been established in a Ukrainian law
passed by the Rada, but which has not become valid for different
pretexts. The agreement on it exists and the parameters
of this law are well known.
As for the United
States, it is a fully-fledged participant of the settlement
processes in its own right, regardless of whether it is
in the Normandy framework or not. In any case, it is very
deeply involved and is well aware of all the events there.
I do
not know whether it should be formally included in the Normandy
format. In any event, this does not depend on us. Believe me,
I have never been against this.
Now
I will answer the question of your colleague. In fact, he
did not ask a question but rather stated his position. This is what
I would like to say on this score.
First,
about the location of Ukraine and Bashkiria. Judging
by the lack of any accent in your Russian, I believe
mentally Bashkiria is not as far from Ukraine as you think
in terms of geography.
As for the tragedy
that is taking place there today – and this is definitely a tragedy –
I must agree. It is always necessary to look at the primary
source of the tragedy. The primary source is a coup d’etat,
the armed unconstitutional seizure of power. And, as is known,
part of the people did not agree and started resisting. Despite
Ukraine’s alleged desire to become part of European civilization,
those who objected were fought against not by democratic methods but
at first with the use of secret services and then with
the full-scale use of the armed forces.
There is
no Russian army on the territory of Donbass but there are
certain militia formations that are self-sufficient and ready
to repel any large-scale actions against Donbass.
We
believe this meets the interests of the people who live
on that territory because if they do not have such an opportunity,
the massacre you mentioned, carried out by so-called nationalist
battalions, will be even worse than in Srebrenica. And nothing will
stop them, including appeals to international human rights organisations
that I was advised to make by my Western colleagues if
events take such a turn. We are fully aware of this.
Regarding
the peacekeeping mission. It was Petro Poroshenko who spoke about
the need to arm OSCE employees at first, and I agreed
immediately. The OSCE turned down this idea right away saying that they
have neither the experience nor the people and they do not want
to give their employees weapons because they will immediately become
targets for radicals on both sides.
Then Mr
Poroshenko said that it is necessary to ensure security
of the OSCE officers using UN forces. I agreed to that
as well and, to dispel any doubts, we submitted a respective
draft resolution, according to which UN forces would protect the OSCE
employees.
After
that, in a telephone conversation, Ms Merkel asked me, “Why only
at the border, at the contact line? OSCE staff move all
over Donbass. Please agree to them always traveling with security,
wherever they go, including the border between Russia and Donbass,
Russia and Ukraine.”
I thought
about that and replied, “Yes, you are right. We will agree to that.”
We immediately amended the resolution. But now it turns out that that was
not enough. Basically, it all comes down to establishing international control
over that territory.
We are
not against that but Kiev would have to negotiate with Donbass. And, since
we are talking about this, no other similar conflict in the world has
ever been resolved only through mediators. Their resolution always required direct
contacts between the parties to the conflict. Unfortunately,
the current government in Kiev is evading direct contacts with
Donbass.
Now,
exchanges. I agree with you. Innocent people are suffering. Do you think
it is the fault of Donbass? No. Yesterday there was another shelling
by the Ukrainian army. Sometimes even we cannot tell if it is
the army or the nationalist battalions.
As far
as I know, the regular Ukrainian army and these nationalist
battalions are not always on good terms. Honestly, I understand why.
Because true soldiers are there to protect their people
and the country from external aggression, not from domestic
conflicts, even a tough and complicated conflict like the one
in Donbass.
Now
on exchanges. President Poroshenko instructed Viktor Medvedchuk
to deal with this. Mr Medvedchuk was invited by the Russian
Patriarchate to the New Jerusalem Monastery. As there had not
been any exchanges for a long time, he asked us to use our
influence with the leadership of the two unrecognised republics,
the LPR and DPR, to get them to agree to this
exchange.
We
worked on that, as you probably know. In fact, it was
the first time I had ever spoken to those leaders. They agreed.
With the approval of Ukraine (it was their proposal, after all),
Medvedchuk brought us the list of 67 people from one side
in exchange for around 300 people from the other side. It was
Ukraine’s list. It was approved.
I want
you to understand that this is what actually happened. I am not
distorting facts. Then, out of the blue, they said no, this is not
right, we need to change the list. They stalled the process
again. Look, can we do it already? Then we can move forward. We should really
do this act of kindness since it is the holiday season.
Now
about Saakashvili. I think that what Saakashvili is doing is a slap
in the face to both the Georgian and Ukrainian people.
How can you still tolerate this? Here is a man who was the president
of the independent Georgian state, and now he is running from
square to square yelling for the whole world to hear:
I am a Ukrainian! Are there no genuine Ukrainians in Ukraine?
And Ukraine puts up with all this. It is such a pity to see.
My heart bleeds.
Now
about us being far removed or close. I know that you will probably
not agree with this but each person has his own position. The development
of the Slavic world was complicated. Russia’s development was also
difficult. It was formed by many Slavic tribes – 16 or 32.
Eventually ancient Rus emerged, and Kiev became part of it
and the centre of it. In this sense our historical,
spiritual and other roots entitle me to say that basically we are one
and the same people. But, of course, you may not agree with me.
One more
thing is clear. Being close to Russia’s western border, Ukraine developed
accordingly and has many wonderful unique features in its language
and culture – in everything. They are all cherished
in Russia and considered to be part of our own culture.
In the 19th century
some people started saying that Ukraine ought to be independent
and self-sufficient. Did they have the right to say this? Yes,
they did, especially considering that they lived in an empire where
there was probably some forced Russification. But for Ukraine this was
the least important thing because after all it is an Orthodox
country. This was important at that time. Let me recall that passports
identified religion rather than ethnic origin. There was no difference
at all between a Russian and a Ukrainian.
Ukraine
became part of the Russian empire in 1645. Russia incorporated
three of its regions. Speaking in today’s language this was around
Kiev, Chernigov and today’s Zhitomir – the latter had
a different name. As part of the Russian empire, Ukraine
received more territory as a result of different events, such
as Russian-Turkish wars and later on World War II.
But
in 1922, 1923, and 1924 the Bolsheviks decided
for some reason that all territories adjacent to Ukraine’s historical
part should become a new republic – Ukraine. All Black Sea regions
became part of it. After WWII it incorporated Western regions. This is how
it all worked out.
But
in 1954 Crimea was transferred there in violation
of the Soviet Union law in force at the time,
according to which such decision had to be approved
by the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative
Socialist Republic (RSFSR). The decision was made
by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.
I will
not say anything further. The people of Crimea made their own
decision, I am sure we will get over this. Some people believe that it is
better for Ukraine to develop as an independent state. So
be it. If people believe so, this should be done and supported. It is
absolutely pointless and counterproductive to try and suppress
this opinion.
But let
me emphasise that the entire world is taking a different path. People
of different ethnic origin and religion are increasingly drawing
closer to each other. This is happening both in Europe and Asia
and also in North America – everywhere in the world.
As I said
once, we were divided and then set against each other. We must come
to understand what benefits both Ukraine and Russia and what is
counterproductive. Let us ponder this together.
Dmitry
Peskov: I saw ”Ryazan: Housing and Utilities“ – just
to bring things back down to earth.
Alexei
Kochetkov: Thank you for giving me the floor. Alexei Kochetkov, TKR
television channel, Ryazan.
Mr
President, good afternoon,
I would
like to begin with a small request, just a couple of words.
Currently, a programme for improving cities and towns is really
gaining momentum in our region. People themselves are picking what should
be done under these programmes, I am speaking of the municipal
initiatives programme and a comfortable urban environment. Despite
the lack of prerequisites for it, I would very much like
to ask to continue financing such programmes as people need them
very much.
And my question
is rather simple regarding housing and utilities. Recently,
in the past few years, people have often complained about utility
rates going up, the lack of quality in the services they
are provided. The question is: what should be done in this sector
today to eliminate such complaints tomorrow?
Thank
you very much.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
I can
see another banner ”Housing and Utilities.“ Give him a microphone,
please.
Vladislav
Sakharchuk: My name is Vladislav Sakharchuk, I am
a correspondent with the website Kaluga 24.
Mr
President, despite the objective positive things in the housing
and utilities sector, there is a massive ”black hole“ –
unscrupulous managing companies that collect money from residents but do not
pay to the utility providers. Instead, they go bankrupt
and disappear.
Even
here, in the Kaluga Region, efforts are being made to get things
under control, but the situation is becoming quite negative. We are
objectively failing to cope with it at the local or even
regional level; there needs to be some kind of federal response.
Thank
you very much, I know a decision will be made to switch
to direct payments between customers and utility providers. But this
is only the first step in this very corrupt sphere. It should be put
into order.
Thank
you very much.
Vladimir Putin: There was someone talking about the housing and utilities
sector as well. Was it you? Go ahead.
Viktor
Smirnov: I am Viktor Smirnov, a correspondent with the website
47news.ru, Leningrad Region.
In November
and December, officers and contract soldiers living in garrison
towns all across the country received utility bills that were beyond high.
Just imagine: in the Leningrad Region, a monthly bill amounted
to 50,000 rubles per family.
This all
was connected with another change of the company managing
the Ministry of Defence's housing stock. That said, the military
towns are in a state of neglect. They are becoming filled with
garbage and experience constant supply interruptions. They just do not
show this to you. But we have everything – photos and bills.
So,
here’s my question: Is it possible to do anything to stop this
'bloodletting' of the army? This is another company
of the Ministry of Defence which is leaving people with 50,000
ruble bills on their hands.
Vladimir Putin: Your concern about military towns is understandable.
And I share it, by the way. This deserves special
attention, because it is arguably the most acute issue
in the entire housing and utilities system.
If
the army leaves a place, it does not mean that the people should
be left behind. A formal transfer to municipalities is not enough. It
is necessary to ensure that such transfers actually go through.
Nevertheless,
what you just said is part of the overall housing and utilities
problem. What can we say about this? Our colleague on this side said that,
despite some positive trends in the housing and utilities
sector, there are still a lot of problems. And the second
or the third speaker also spoke about these problems. What are they
about, in general?
First,
what I think about this matter. I do not think that
the situation is developing positively, unfortunately. There are more
problems than solutions. Indeed, decisions were made in recent years and,
yes, certain things have changed. But it is absolutely not enough. I think
that both the regional and the federal authorities
in charge of this, primarily, the Ministry of Construction,
which has an entire unit that must deal with housing and utilities,
are clearly not doing enough. This is absolutely clear.
What is
the gist of the issue? The problem is that these so-called
management companies collect money paid for utilities
and the housing tariff payments. What is the difference?
Utility
payments are payments to suppliers for gas, electricity, water
and so on, maybe for sewerage as well. The housing tariffs,
or housing payments, cover everything that happens inside a house.
So,
the management companies first collect money for everything,
and then make payments, including those to resource organisations.
They do not always pay on time and in full. These activities
mostly go unsupervised.
What do
we need to do in this regard? It is necessary to cut off these
management companies from the cash flow. Such a draft law is already
in place and, I believe, it passed the first reading.
In any case, it is being studied there. This must be done in soon.
There is
another decision that was adopted. They are charging fees, often
unsubstantiated, which the customers dispute. Now, the management
companies, in connection with the upcoming decisions, will not only
have to recalculate the amounts due, but to pay
an additional 50 percent for the incorrectly issued bill
as a fine, so to say. These decisions must be seen
to completion by all means.
With
regard to tariff regulation, I said that there are two types
of payments: utilities and housing.
Utility
payments are governed by federal regulations. The maximum tariff
increase was set at 4 percent over the past couple of years.
First, it is not complied with, and the utilities bills have grown
on average not by 4 percent, but, according to the most
recent data, as I checked yesterday, by 8.8 percent. This is
unacceptable. There is a cap of 4 percent. Where does 8.8 come from?
The second
component, the so-called housing payments, is even worse. This is
something the management companies and the regions are directly
responsible for. It is not regulated whatsoever, and there is no cap. So,
payments here are off the charts. On average, at this point
in time, extra payments amount to 23-odd percent,
and occasionally even over 30. It is not good at all. What needs
to be done? It is necessary to impose restrictions, of course.
Similar to utility payments, it is imperative to introduce
regulations on housing payments, and this must be done immediately.
Of course,
most importantly, it is necessary to ensure timely construction
of new facilities and the overhaul of existing ones
in order to enhance the utilities system itself.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let us continue. I can see Chinese colleagues here.
I believe it says “Russia and China: Main things.” Please.
Sun
Juan: Good afternoon, Mr President. Sun Juan, China Radio International (CRI)
and the mobile application “China – Russia: Main things.”
I have a question. Next March, the presidential election will
take place in Russia. How do you think the result
of the election will impact Russia-China relations? Or does our
strategic partnership stand above short-term political circumstances
in our countries? Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you for the question. And Xinhua now, please.
Luan
Hai: Thank you, Mr President! My name is Luan Hai, Xinhua News.
As we know, Russia and China have announced that they are linking
the belt strategy with the Eurasian Economic Union. How do you see
the results and prospects of Russian-Chinese relations?
And the second
question. The Chinese Communist Party set the task of building
new international relations and communities of common destiny based
on the principles of equality and mutual benefit. Do you
think that Russia is ready to work towards this goal together with China?
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: First of all, concerning the decisions adopted
at the last congress of the Chinese Communist Party,
I rate them highly and see them positively. It had a positive
agenda for developing China and building international relations. It
is identical or similar to what we propose for developing Russia
and international relations, as well as Russia’s place
in the world. When I speak about the first element,
I mean the economy above all. The Chinese economy is developing,
and very rapidly, thanks to the policies of Xi Jinping
and his predecessors. And the Party’s Charter, as well
as amendments to it, show that China wants: a) stability and b)
development. And by developing, make the life of its people
better.
It is
vital for us, because China is our largest trade, economic
and strategic partner in the broadest sense
of the word. It is China with whom we trade most: over 63 billion.
The trade has decreased a bit as a result of crises
in the global economy, but we are quickly expanding, going back
to the former level and, I am sure, will surpass it very soon.
Now,
as far as the idea of the Silk Road is concerned,
I have repeatedly said that it is absolutely compatible with
and matches the development of the Eurasian Economic Union
and the broad partnership in Asia that we have proposed. Already
now (you asked about the results) it is possible to speak about what
we have done.
But
I have already answered a question here asked by your colleague,
who is on my left, on the development
of the Arctic. China, for example, is showing great interest
in the Northern Sea Route. This is natural, because if we ensure
year-round use of the Northern Sea Route, something that we will,
I hope, eventually manage to achieve fairly quickly, then shipping
goods from Asia to Europe and back will begin to make better
economic sense than the other currently existing routes. That is
the first thing. And we will encourage China in every possible
way to benefit from these advantages. Both Russia and China are
interested in this.
China
has joined our biggest projects, including in the Arctic.
For example, we have recently launched phase one of the Yamal
LNG plant. The design capacity of phase one is 5.5 million tonnes
of liquefied gas. Quite soon, in 2018, two more phases will be put
into operation. Their overall capacity will reach 16.5 million tonnes. China is
one of the key investors in this project. And there is
a good reason, I believe, as this meets China's interests, its
economic interests. We will do our best to encourage this for other
projects as well.
I said,
and we all know well, that with regard to pipeline gas, we are
carrying out and will continue to carry out these projects. We have
a wonderful high-speed rail project. That is what the Silk Road is
actually about. We will gladly support high-speed traffic from China
to Western Europe through Russia. We will thus increase the speed
of railway freight carriage many times over. Both freight
and passenger carriage. We have large-scale projects in high-tech
sectors, space, aviation and so on. By and large, we are
confident that we are moving absolutely in the right direction
and we are determined to keep moving forward along this path.
As for the elections
in Russia, I am completely sure that there is a nationwide
consensus in Russia concerning the development of relations with
China. Whatever the outcome of the elections, Russia
and China will remain strategic partners for the long-term
historical perspective.
Dmitry
Peskov: Let us move over here. Vladimir Kondratyev, also a master
journalist.
Vladimir
Kondratyev: Thank you.
Mr
President, our society is highly interested in your next presidential term
if you win the election. Everyone wants to know in what respects
this term will differ from the previous ones and with what team you
will run the country in the next six years.
In this
context, I would like to ask you what you think about the new
government. Will the current Government survive until the election?
And what socioeconomic strategy that now, as we know, is elaborated
by different expert teams, will you rely on? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin:As for the current Government, I generally
believe it is doing satisfactory work despite certain problems.
I have
just spoken about housing and utilities. This is one
of the problems to be resolved. There are still many problems
that require special attention. But on the whole, the Government
is fairly confident and its performance is satisfactory. Incidentally,
this is demonstrated by the return to steady economic growth,
the resolution of certain problems and sustainable macroeconomic
development, which certainly form the foundation for future economic
advancement.
Had this
not been the case, there would be no direct foreign investment because all
this is a result of the growing confidence
in the policy conducted by the Government
of the Russian Federation.
As for the future
configuration, do not be cross with me but it is too early to speak about
it. It should probably be discussed after the election, although naturally
I do have some tentative ideas. Thank you.
Ukraine’s
neighbour – Poland. Go ahead please.
Andrzej Zaucha:
Andrzej Zaucha, TVN TV company from Poland.
Last
year I asked you about the remnants of the presidential
aircraft. I understand nothing has changed. But I would like you
to clarify when we can expect the return of these remnants
to Poland.
My second
question is closely linked with this. They promise us in Poland
to publish a new report about this disaster in the near
future. The Defence Ministry’s commission is working on it.
The new government is considering this.
There
are reports that there were explosions on board the aircraft,
and the defence minister says he has evidence. His commission is
working. And, of course, there are hints that not you personally but your
people provoked or staged this disaster.
Vladimir Putin:Listen, we are tired of this bluffing, just sick and tired.
They have been giving us this nonsense, just blowing hot air. Let me remind you
that at that time I was Prime Minister and as such, had
very little to do with foreign political activities or any law
enforcement and special services. Do not forget about this. That is
my first point.
Second,
if there were explosions on board, where did the plane take off?
Moscow or Warsaw? So, that is where the bombs were planted. Are they
saying that Russian agents infiltrated the place to put explosives
in there? They had better look in their own place.
Finally,
there were no explosions there. Both Polish and Russian experts have investigated
the case thoroughly. They have studied in the most careful way
all that was happening inside the cockpit: someone entered,
and the pilot told them, “We cannot land.” And that person
replied, “No, I am not even reporting this to him.” To whom? To the President,
apparently. He ordered the plane to land. So they landed.
An awful tragedy, and we grieved together with them. And now
they have to wind everyone up, inventing things out of a clear
blue sky. The same story was with the remains of that airplane.
They do
not have to invent anything. If there is a problem
and a tragedy, one must treat this as a tragedy
and not search for any far-fetched political motives. What for? Do
you want to further complicate Russian-Polish relations? Why?
To raise someone’s domestic popularity?
It seems
to me that Russian-Polish relations are more important than
the current internal political struggle in Poland between various
forces that are quick to use any anti-Russian factor in this
struggle. Turn this page, finally, and grow up. Become mature, meet
the requirements of today and the interests
of the Polish nation and the Polish people.
Clinging
to these problems and further degradation of Russian-Polish
relations does not benefit Poland at all. Count your losses from the various
sanctions that Poland has joined, the jobs lost,
and the businesses that could have developed targeting
the Russian market. We do not need anything from Poland. We want
to develop relations with Poland. I hope this approach will prevail
in Poland as well.
Dmitry
Peskov: Mr President, we have not yet given the floor
to Interfax. Kseniya, please.
Kseniya
Golovanova: Good afternoon, Mr President. Kseniya Golovanova, Interfax.
I would like to ask you about Syria. Mr Peskov, I will try
to speak short.
Taking
into account the enormous number of contacts you have held lately
on the Syrian settlement, what, in your opinion, are
the main obstacles or hidden agendas preventing normalisation
in the country? Who should assume responsibility for restoring
the infrastructure? Should or can?
About
our bases and what you have said about the defeat of ISIS
in Syria, how do you see the role of these bases? Are you not
worried that Western partners may see their presence as a tool
to support Bashar al-Assad?
And the last
question: about your trip to Syria. It looked really cool. Please, tell
us, when you decided to do it, did our Aerospace Forces play any role
in making this trip happen? Or Syrian soldiers, maybe? And when
will the withdrawal of our troops from Syria be completed? Thank you.
Dmitry
Peskov: If I may add, over there they have a Syrian flag with
“Our Victory” written on it.
Magomed
Magomedov: Thank you. Magomed Magomedov, Daghestan Republican Information
Agency.
In 1999,
you were in Daghestan, where we defeated international terrorists that
invaded the republic. Today almost the same thing happened
in Syria. But I think that terrorism has not been defeated yet. Today
the world sees you as a leader, a head of state who
fights terrorism.
Unfortunately,
the experience the Americans demonstrate doesn’t lead
to anything. What are the chances of finding and taking out
the people pulling the strings of these terrorist groups? This
time it was ISIS, will there not be a new group tomorrow and so on?
Thank you.
Arslan
Khasavov: Mr President, of course, it is good to be Andrei
Kolesnikov or Sergei Brilyov, because it would be easier to attract
attention, but also about Syria, shortly. I represent Uchitelskaya
Gazeta, but I work in education and international journalism,
in particular, I also visited Khmeimim Air Base this February…
Vladimir Putin:You mentioned Kolesnikov. It is not difficult to be
Kolesnikov, because everybody talks about him all the time. Say your name.
Arslan
Khasavov: Arslan Khasavov, Uchitelskaya Gazeta. Yes, I was
the first Russian who came to Khmeimim Air Base on foot,
as the staff told me…
Vladimir Putin: Where from?
Arslan
Khasavov: I was made to get off a bus when trying
to reach the Russians on my journey from Latakia
to Tartus, to Homs and Damascus – such a detour.
I wrote a series of articles about it.
Vladimir Putin: That was dangerous. Where are you from, Daghestan?
Arslan
Khasavov: I was born in Chechnya, but that is another story.
Vladimir Putin: Only Chechen people can travel there on foot.
Arslan
Khasavov: Mr Putin, I have visited the refugee camp in Homs.
There are so many orphans there now. I was also in Istanbul, where
I saw Syrian children virtually barefoot outside, begging and so on.
And there are Syrian children in these refugee camps. However, there
are no educational programs for them. I saw this with my own
eyes. Humanitarian aid is being supplied.
What is
to become of these children in 10–15 years, no one knows. Maybe,
now that you have declared victory over terrorism in Syria, is it time
to think of organising a truly humanitarian intervention,
an educational one? I remember in Damascus, a Russian
cultural centre was working for many years, but now it is closed.
And since I am also a graduate of the Institute
of Asian and African Studies, just like your Press Secretary … Maybe
you need someone like me, from Chechnya, if you ordered me to start and lead
this work in Damascus, I would be prepared to live and work
there for this purpose.
Vladimir Putin: As far as I know, there is already a man from
Chechnya who largely organises this work, a Kadyrov, I think. He is
now evacuating children from there, which is the right thing to do.
But you
are actually right, and I am not joking now. You are absolutely
right – this is a problem, and Turkey certainly suffers
the most, because most of the refugees are there,
the largest camps are there. Yet, there are such camps in Jordan,
and in other countries. We also know about the problem
of migrants Europe is facing, and so on.
Therefore,
it is absolutely necessary to deal with this problem, and Syria will
hardly be able to cope with it on its own. But I am not afraid
of using these clichés: all people of goodwill around the world
should understand that if we do not resolve this together, it will be their
problem as well.
You are
absolutely right to raise concerns about these children and what will
happen to them in a few years, if they do not receive proper
education and grow up in a normal human environment. One
of the main sources of terrorism is a low level
of education and living standards. This is such an injustice,
and one of the main sources of terrorism to date,
and of course, we need to do something about it, we need
to solve this problem.
But
Syria cannot cope with this alone. You know that Russia cannot cope with this
alone either. Therefore, we are ready to participate, but only as one
of the components of a common international effort. Thank
you for your question and for your initiative.
Really,
joking aside, I do not rule out the possibility of your working
there at some point. Just like our military police from the North
Caucasus are working there now. I believe I already mentioned that it
was my initiative to send people from the North Caucasus
as policemen there, because they are mostly Sunni, and the local
Sunni population trusts them.
The authorities
trust them too, because they are Russian servicemen, and the local
people, regardless of their political affiliations, also trust them,
because they are Sunnis. It is a win-win situation. First, the guys
were very brave and disciplined, which is important. They were aware of their
responsibility, and fulfilled their duty with dignity as they
represented Russia’s interests. However, this part is extremely important. So,
the participation of our experts like you will be sought after.
Now,
about the trip. The need for such a trip was clear
to me for a long time. The question was whether proper
conditions would be in place. When will we be done getting rid
of these terrorist gangs? And what will the situation be like
there? Well, the situation is there, these bandit groups are being mostly
dealt with, and such a decision was made.
With
regard to security, it was provided by our servicemen
on the ground, too, because the specialists know that
the most dangerous moments of such events include landing
and take-off, when an airplane may be targeted
by a MANPADS.
However,
the pilots, I looked, did not just fly side by side, they went
below our plane during landing. The nozzles of combat aircraft warm
up much more than the engines of a civilian aircraft,
and they, in fact, were covering our aircraft. Then, we parted ways.
Of course, I am grateful to them for that
and I want them to know about it, to hear it. Although,
I think, there was no need for that but, nevertheless they did what
they did.
What is
the main obstacle that stands in the way of a final
solution to the problem in Syria and fighting terrorism
in general? Fighting terrorism in general is all about improving
the level of education and well-being. And rectifying
historical injustices in the Middle East and the world
in general.
In Syria
and elsewhere, it is critical that all the participants in these
processes, the global players, do not succumb to a desire
or temptation to use various terrorist, quasi-terrorist,
or radical groups to achieve their fleeting political goals.
Al-Qaeda
was created at some point to fight the Soviet Union
in Afghanistan, and it ultimately struck New York
on September 11. We can see it with our own eyes, our pilots can see
it, and drones also show us the militants leaving, say, for Iraq.
Our military tell their American partners: the militants went
to a particular area. There is no reaction whatsoever. They are
leaving, end of story. Why? Because they think that they could use them,
probably, in fighting al-Assad. This is the simplest, but also the most
dangerous thing to do, including for those who do it.
Dmitry
Peskov: Alexander Gamov, Komsomolskaya Pravda. There is no way we do
not give him the floor.
Alexander
Gamov: Alexander Gamov, Komsomolskaya Pravda – the website,
radio station and newspaper.
Mr
President, I believe that the main political issue today is
the nation’s health, don’t you agree? I know and everybody knows
that both the President and the government are giving
the issue close attention and hardly anyone will disagree that we
have made significant progress in this area over the previous 10
to 15 years. Medical centres of which we have never even dreamt
before have appeared in Russia, even in the remotest parts
of the country – you and I attended the opening
ceremonies for these centres.
You see,
I mean – I believe you also know about this as you have all
this information in your green folders – that this progress was
accompanied by a so-called optimisation drive
and the result is terrible because they started to consolidate medical
centres and close rural medical assistance centres all across
Russia – they did it yesterday and they are doing this right now.
I understand that a sick person or a woman in labour
can be driven in the areas where there are roads or medical air
service. But it is disastrous in the areas without roads
or medical air service. I am a man from a provincial town.
You know, even in Moscow after the optimisation, it is difficult
to book an appointment with a specialist.
Incidentally,
today, material about journalist Lyudmila Yanina and her fellows in misfortune
was posted on the Komsomolskaya Pravda website, which
I already advertised. As far as I know, there are two
dialysis centres in Orenburg Region, but the region occupies
a vast area and it is so difficult for people to brave
the frost or a blizzard… I mean that everything is geared
to money or economic sense. Now, on behalf of our readers,
I would like to ask you…
Dmitry
Peskov: I would like to ask you to ask your question.
Alexander
Gamov: I understand. Don’t you think that they have pushed too hard
and the reverse side of it is horrible?
I would
also like to make a proposal, now that I was given
the microphone.
Vladimir Putin: To all appearances, nobody else will have the chance
to get it. (Laughter).
Alexander
Gamov: You used to stop by at Komsomolskaya Pravda quite
often: you have been there three times. Now we have not seen you for 11
years and 7 months, according to my count. I am inviting
you over.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Alexander
Gamov: Maybe soon then. We will be waiting for you. Perhaps, Mr
Peskov could help to organise this?
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Alexander
Gamov: Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin:Thank you for this invitation.
(Noise
in the audience.)
May
I answer the question? If everyone keeps asking questions without
letting me answer, there is no reason for us to be here.
Regarding
healthcare. In the beginning of this meeting I said that
healthcare is one of the most important areas, a priority area
for the future.
Denis
Volf: May I add something?
Vladimir Putin: Add to what?
Denis
Volf: To the question on healthcare.
Vladimir Putin: Go on.
Denis
Volf: Hello, Mr President. I apologise for interrupting you, but
the issue is very important. I am Denis Volf, Guberniya TV channel,
Voronezh, Voronezh Region.
We see
on the news one famous person leave Russia to get medical
treatment abroad, then another one, a politician, for example,
leaves, too. So we start investigating. Does this mean that Russia cannot
provide proper treatment (I am talking about cancer, too), so that people
have to leave to get treatment abroad? And as we
investigate, we find out that we do have proper treatment, we have
universities, qualified staff, everything is in order. But there must be
something missing. What is it? Capacity or equipment, perhaps.
In Voronezh, and in other major Russian cities as well,
the issue of cancer and the construction of cancer
treatment centres is a pressing one.
It is
not enough to build a centre, it needs to be equipped, too. It
is rather expensive, we are talking about serious technologies, including
foreign ones, not Russian. Is it possible to introduce co-financing
for cancer treatment centres as part of some federal targeted
programme? Maybe even the Zdorovye programme, which, as far
as I know, covers cancer treatment as well. It is a big
problem, for the whole of Russia too, I believe.
Thank
you.
Vladimir
Putin: I will answer two questions at once.
Concerning
healthcare development progammes in general. You have rightly said that
a great deal has been done to make high-tech medical assistance more
accessible. We have set up centres in many Russian cities, we set up
perinatal centres and we will be working on this programme
for the rest of the year. I think it should be
continued further. I have already mentioned the drop in infant
and maternal mortality in this connection. We have similar
indicators, I mean basically good indicators, of mortality due
to external factors, road accidents, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis.
Some progress has been made on oncology, but it is still short
of what is needed to solve the problem, which is still severe.
So, there is a need for co-financing by the state
and we will certainly do that.
You have
also mentioned the shrinking of the network. I agree with
you that in many cases this is unwarranted and unacceptable.
For all the need to modernise the system,
and the fairness of the remark that hospital beds are used
not to treat patients, but for prevention and wellness,
and although the technical equipment should be such
as to reduce the time a patient spends
in a hospital bed and the number of people passing
through this bed should increase, still considering the huge territory
of our country reducing the number of medical facilities is not
always justified. What should be done? First of all, funding
of course should be increased. It will be increased for next year.
This year it is, I think, about 3.8 of the GDP, according
to Finance Ministry data. Perhaps these data may not tally with those
of some other agencies. According to the Finance Ministry –
I talked about it with Siluanov just yesterday, and he told me that
next year the total spending on health care nationwide will be 4.1
percent of the GDP.
But
I would like to flag a particular problem. It is
the preservation (wherever possible) and creation of new forms
of medical care in small communities of between 100
and 2,000 people. New modern nursing and midwifing centres should be
set up, what has been lost should be restored and new facilities created.
That’s number one.
Number
two. In communities with less than 100 people, mobile medical assistance
centres should be set up. This is a must.
Some
issues are crying out for a solution, you have mentioned them. They
include providing additional assistance to seriously ill persons
and helping them to buy a large amount of the drugs
they need. Look what happened. Life expectancy has increased significantly,
from 65 to almost 73 years. People who are gravely ill, thank God, are not
passing away, but their numbers are growing and the amount
of money allocated is insufficient. So I instructed
the Government: we will increase allocations
for the corresponding medicines, including pain-killers, and we
will increase allocations for buying the necessary equipment,
including for those who need it to be used at home.
Dmitry
Peskov: Ekho Moskvy. I see Tatyana Felgengauer, who is back
in the ranks.
Tatyana
Felgengauer: Tatyana Felgengauer, Ekho Moskvy radio station.
Vladimir Putin: God bless you. I hope you are doing well.
Tatyana
Felgengauer: I have a question about the situation with
the rule of law in the Russian Federation. We can see two
different legal realities. In one, there is a true repressive machine
working, where criminal cases are being initiated for social media reposts
and text messages, and people are thrown in jail
on groundless charges, which has been confirmed by the ECHR,
Oleg Navalny, and Alexei Malobrodsky, who is kept in pre-trial
detention facility, while Kirill Serebrennikov’s case is being heard.
There is
another legal reality. The one where Boris Nemtsov was killed,
and Ruslan Geremeyev never questioned, because the investigator was
not allowed to see him. Andrei Turchak was not interrogated either
in the case of the attempted assassination
of journalist Oleg Kashin. Igor Sechin, the head of Rosneft, is
not in court for the most important trial of Alexei
Ulyukayev, ignoring the summons. Any other citizen would certainly be
forcibly brought to court, because this is contempt of court, but
Igor Sechin gets away with it.
Therefore,
here is my question: what kind of rule of law is this, if there
are two different legal realities in our country?
Vladimir Putin:I agree with you that there are problems. But I cannot agree
with the fact that we have different legal realities.
As for Sechin
and his failure to appear in court – if that was
a violation of the law, then there must be an appropriate
response under the law. But, as far as I understand,
and I was certainly interested because I saw the public
reaction to this case, the law was not violated in any way.
The investigators agreed they have enough evidence collected, including
the testimony of Sechin himself. But I cannot disagree with you
that Sechin should have come to court, what is the problem anyway? He
could show up and repeat what he said during the preliminary
investigation and interrogations.
As for someone
being in jail and you thinking it is unreasonable, that is your
opinion, while the investigative authorities consider it justified. Such
disputes can only be resolved by court. We need to further
consolidate the judicial and legal systems.
Mikhail
Zub: Good afternoon, Mr Putin. My name is Mikhail Zub. Potrebitel publishing
house.
I have
a question about the development of fisheries. We are very
grateful to you for the historic conference of 2015, which
adopted the idea that fish are part of the national heritage
that should reach the population, and so on.
We also
appreciate your systemic approach to the analysis of export,
about 87 percent. We also appreciate that you have said today that
the industry is underdeveloped: no processing, no coastal infrastructure,
no logistics.
But some
contradictions have arisen, which brings me to my question.
The State Council proposed Federal Law 349 that “circumcises” your ideology
by 75 percent.
Second,
along comes Executive Order 633…
Vladimir Putin: What’s the “circumcision” ?
Mikhail
Zub: Let me explain. You moved from sale to processing
to fishing, as a single whole. You proceeded from
the consumer. What does law 349 do? It says: guys, divide 20 percent
of the investment quota into four parts, 75 percent for fishing
and 25 percent for processing.
Second,
as if this were not enough: under resolution 633 an investment
object, for example a factory, if it is to work at full capacity,
needs twenty-five thousand tonnes of raw material. And then there is
the game they are playing with resolution 648 which says that 70 percent
of the quota is needed for the factory to function.
The size
of the quota is nine thousand tonnes. Out of the nine
thousand tonnes, six thousand tonnes is fish without heads, so it is really
four thousand tonnes. So what happens? Suppose company X starts building
a factory, and it practically destroys the infrastructure
for four thousand tonnes of fish.
The plight
of the processing industry is still worse. In fact, it is up
against Federal Law 39. In fact, financial support is needed to build
a factory and to take part in the construction. But
the processor has no fishing operation. He has no quota.
I have
to ask you for something very important. This is my question
really. Today you are the umpire. The extractive side
and the processing side are in the ring.
The processing side “by the skin of its teeth” managed
to reach the investment quota.
The processing
facilities that cleared this bar have submitted their documents
to Rosrybolovstvo [Federal Agency for Fishery], there are a few,
I am talking about processing as a whole, not about specific
cases, we should be allowed to take part in obtaining
an investment quota, sign resolution 632, get a quota and build
factories.
And most
importantly…
Vladimir Putin: You brought the fish…
Mikhail
Zub: Mr Putin, it is about China, the Northern Sea Route, connections, and supplies.
There are 400 pages of printed text. This is my personal gift
to you. You can toss it or go over it briefly. However, I want
this to develop. We want to connect the Northern Sea Route, we
want to connect the Russian Far East. We know what needs to be
done. We are walking in circles.
I tricked
you. I am not a journalist, rather an accidental journalist.
I am the chairman of the board of directors
of the Murmansk fish processing plant.
(Applause)
Dmitry
Peskov: That’s bad.
Mikhail
Zub: I agree, it is.
Dmitry
Peskov: You were accredited for a news conference.
Mikhail
Zub: I agree, it is a bad thing to do. Because we have been
fighting for three and a half years in order
to survive, and we know how to survive. We know how
to catch Far Eastern fish; the fish will be sold for 52 rubles,
80 rubles for fish from the Far East, not 300 rubles. Fish
in our stores is priced at 300 rubles [a kilo].
We
should be selling fish like it is chicken. What did Artemyev say? He said cod
used to cost 60 kopecks, and chicken 2 rubles. Now, a chicken
costs 100 rubles, and cod costs 300 rubles. Are we making fun of our
customers? Do what you want with me. Yes, I came here illegally:
I pretended to be a journalist, etc. Please hand it over from
us.
Dmitry
Peskov: Thank you for coming clean with us.
Vladimir Putin: Look, if we go into details now, hardly anyone will know what we are
talking about.
I recently
invited Ilya Shestakov to join me for a discussion of all
these issues. In general, I share your concerns. If we do not create
proper conditions for the development of processing capacities,
then all of that will go abroad for processing. Jobs will be created
there and added value will be created there as well,
and the price for fish will remain as high as it is
today. We need to provide logistics and redistribute these
capabilities using quotas.
The 20
percent that you mentioned, I had exactly the same questions.
The only thing that we heard here in response was that a rapid
change in these percentages can undermine the catch in general.
And the so-called grandfather rule, which took shape
in the industry a long time go, cannot be changed abruptly,
otherwise we will simply undermine fisheries.
We are
not going to discuss it now, since it is not a work-related meeting,
but I will invite you to one such meeting where both processors
and producers will have the chance to speak. I just want
to let you know that the issue is clear, we are dealing with it,
and will continue to do so in conjunction with you.
You have
my sympathies, and I think that now I will not get too far
ahead of myself, but you are right, and we need to pay attention
to the concerns that you have articulated. We will use your papers
to prepare for these meetings.
To be
continued.
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