September 5, 2019
13:20
Russky Island, Primorye Territory
Vladimir Putin attended
the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum.
Invitations to the forum
have been sent to foreign heads of state and government,
the heads of major Russian and foreign companies, as well
as leading politicians and experts.
The theme
of the forum is The Far East – Development Horizons.
* * *
Excerpts from transcript
of plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum
President of Russia Vladimir
Putin: President Battulga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,
Ladies and gentlemen, friends,
First of all, I would
like to address our foreign guests, both leaders
of the countries represented here and our foreign partners
in the audience. Thank you for showing so much respect
for Russia, and for your interest in developing relations
between our countries.
I hope, I am certain that
our work during this forum will be most productive and rewarding
for everybody here. I am happy to welcome you all
to the Eastern Economic Forum.
It is the fifth time that
Vladivostok, the capital of Primorye Territory and now
of the entire Far Eastern Federal District of Russia, has
brought together heads of major Asia-Pacific states, the largest
investors, business people, representatives of the public and expert
communities.
This year we are hosting over 8,500
participants from 65 countries. Since the first forum, representation has
increased more than twofold. We believe this is a convincing indication
of the growing interest in the Russian Far East
and the cooperation opportunities offered by this truly colossal
region.
The power and competitive
advantages of the Far East lie in its talented, hard-working
and energetic people, educated and ambitious youth, in new
centres of research, industrial growth, and industries
of the future.
Its power is in rich natural
resources, enormous logistics potential such as the Northern Sea
Route and other trans-Eurasian routes. Last but not least, its power is
in its proximity to rapidly-developing economies and the world’s
most dynamic region, the Asia-Pacific.
It is hardly surprising that, while
mapping out a long-term strategy for the development
of the Russian Far East in the mid-2000s, some 15 years
ago, we opted for the region’s maximal openness and its close
integration in the economic, transport, educational
and humanitarian space of the APR and, in a greater
scheme of things, the world at large. We made it our priority
to promote international and cross-border cooperation as well
as investment and technological partnerships, which implies creating
new opportunities, primarily for Russian citizens, their life
and work.
In fact, this was
a radical, historic turning point. Let me remind you that many Far Eastern
territories, including the city of Vladivostok, where we are now,
were mostly used for military purposes and had an off-limits
status in the early 20th century,
in the middle of the 20th century,
and later during the Cold War.
This certainly had an impact
on the development of these regions. Properly speaking, there
was practically no development in the social and economic sense
of the word.
To reiterate,
the situation has changed radically over the past years and we
are proud that the Russian Far East has become a symbol
of openness for the whole country, a symbol
of innovation and resolve in lifting all sorts of barriers
to business and human contacts.
Of course, we are aware that
this result would have hardly been possible were it not
for the effort to enhance an atmosphere of trust
and constructive cooperation in the APR as a whole. We
are interested in promoting these positive trends to make
the region we share safe and stable.
Our relations with India, China,
the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Japan and other APR
countries are based on the principles of respect and honest
dialogue. I am confident that these relations are showing great promise
concordant with the growing role that the Asia Pacific Region is due
to play in the coming decades. I think that our esteemed
foreign guests present here, our friends, agree with this.
Along with openness, another key
principle underlying our ambitious plans for the development
of the Russian Far East is that they are long-term
and consistent. We will be enhancing our efforts further, concentrating
resources and managing this work administratively, step by step. Once
we achieve our goals, we set ourselves new tasks, and strive
to achieve more.
Over the past fifteen years,
we have successfully created conditions for the Far East
to enter the path of faster growth. And these are not empty
words – I will now give you some examples of this.
Preparations for the 2012
APEC leaders’ meeting in Vladivostok was a good start. We invested
significant resources then in modernising the local transport,
business, and educational infrastructure, and in improving
the capital of the region as a modern, dynamically
developing city, a city for people, as one
of the major academic centres of the Asia-Pacific region.
We are certainly aware that much
still remains to be done, but a lot has been done, too.
And then, based on what has already been done and achieved, we
will launch large infrastructure, transport and industry projects
as well as construction projects in the region
and beyond.
At the same time, along
with steps to improve the business climate everywhere in Russia,
we have offered completely new and largely unique support tools
for doing business in the Far East and being globally
competitive.
I would like to inform
our colleagues who plan to invest in the Far East – you are
welcome to benefit from these opportunities, so please look at them
again. These are not just promises – this is a practice that is
already in place, and it works.
Thus, as many as 20
territories of priority social and economic development have been
established around the region, with special conditions for launching
production, special tax regimes and state support measures. As many
as 369 resident companies have registered there, signed contracts worth
nearly 2.5 trillion rubles and announced the creation of more than
60,000 new jobs. These businesses have already invested 344.8 billion rubles
in their projects and created nearly 20,000 jobs. This has already
been done.
The Vladivostok free port
regime has been extended to 22 municipalities. Its goal is
to facilitate integration of the Far Eastern regions into
the Asia-Pacific economic space and promote the development
of high-tech enterprises.
As many as 1,404 resident
companies chose to take advantage of the benefits offered
by the free port regime and signed contracts worth almost 700
billion rubles. They are going to create about 68,000 jobs
in the area. As of today, 95.2 billion have been invested
and over 10,000 jobs created. This is a fait accompli.
Overall, thanks
to the proposed support measures, starting from 2015, investors have
contributed 612 billion rubles to the region’s economy, launched 242
new plants, and created more than 39,000 jobs.
As a result, industrial
production growth in the Far East over the past five years has
amounted to almost 23 percent – almost three times greater than across
Russia.
Far Eastern Federal University is
developing as a centre of new competencies, youth exchanges
and international cooperation, ambitious experiments in education,
science and innovative industries in the new technological era.
This centre traditionally hosts our meetings.
During the previous academic
year, the university welcomed 20,000 students, including 3,500 foreigners
from 74 countries. More than 200 foreign professors teach here.
It is planned to further
develop the local research infrastructure, including the construction
of a megascience facility. And we can confidently talk about
the university’s future as one of the supporting centres
of the common APR education space.
Friends,
At the preceding Eastern
Economic Forums we focused on the significance of the Far
East for Russia, as well as on plans to develop this
region, tools for promoting business activity and how businesses can
benefit from them. I briefly spoke about this just now.
However, we understand all too
well, and this question has been raised at the working lunch
that we just had with our colleagues, that goals of this kind will never
be attained without people, their energy, their talent plus their commitment
to achieving results.
For this reason,
in my opening remarks today I will focus my attention
on socioeconomic development and, more specifically,
on the social development programme for the region.
I believe that this would be
interesting not only for the domestic audience, but also for our
prospective investors and the companies that already work here, since
what this means is that we are committed to further improving
the social and political environment and attracting
the workforce the region needs in order to develop.
Yesterday I had a meeting
with the heads of Russia’s Far Eastern regions to discuss
the goals for a new stage in the development
of the Far East. This stage will be about translating
the region’s economic achievements over the past years into
a social breakthrough in order to offer people a better
quality of life.
What this means is that we have
to promote change in healthcare, education, urban and rural
infrastructure that will be felt by millions of people. Importantly,
people must feel these changes as soon as possible rather than
in some kind of a distant future or in many years.
In this context, let me note
that the migration outflow from Russia’s Far East has halved compared
to 2005. We need to reverse this trend once and for all:
instead of leaving the Far East, people must head here bringing their
energy, force and initiative.
We discussed this
at the working lunch we just had, and our colleagues asked me
this question. Is there an inflow, and how many people are leaving
the region? This is a major question in terms of its moral
and ethical, as well as economic implications, among other
things.
Qualified professionals must find
this region attractive and, of course, young people as well,
as they are our future, as we all well know.
Moreover, Russia’s Far East is
a very young region. It has an enormous demographic potential that
has to be preserved and augmented. The aggregate birth rate here
is higher than the national average.
Nearly 1.5 million out
of the 8.2 million residents of the federal district are
school, college and university students. They have won in sports
competitions and international and national academic Olympiads
and contests.
For example, Kazan has
recently hosted a WorldSkills Competition, where Andrei Meshkov,
a 9th-former from Ulan-Ude, won a gold medal at WorldSkills
Russia Juniors in the sphere of information technology.
I congratulate him on his victory once again. (Applause) In short,
clever, creative and energetic people who can achieve the most
ambitious goals live here, as I have said before.
Therefore, the first priority
of the new stage in the development
of the Russian Far East is to support young people. We must do
our best to offer the broadest opportunities possible to them,
so that they can receive education, realise their potential in life
and their profession, create families and have children,
and contribute to the progress of their home region,
the Russian Far East.
First of all, we must
dramatically increase the construction of modern housing, which must
be as affordable as possible. In this context,
as I have said, we discussed this issue with our colleagues,
the heads of regions.
I agree that a special
mortgage programme should be launched in the region, so that young
people can borrow money to purchase flats or houses
in the Far East at an annual rate of 2 percent.
We have recently approved
a preferential mortgage rate for the region of 5 percent,
which is lower than the country’s average. But our colleagues convinced me
yesterday that this is not enough. I would like to warn the heads
of the other regions that we cannot do this everywhere. This would
lose all meaning because the idea is to attract educated
professionals and skilled personnel to the Far East.
I suggest that we launch this
programme this year for the duration of five years. I will
tell you why. First, we will need to carefully consider the amount
and sources of funding for the future, because this is
a long-term matter.
We must apply it
to the so-called primary market, that is, the market of new
residential buildings, as well as to the construction
of private homes by those who are taking part in the Far
Eastern Hectare programme.
I suggest that we use funds
from the national programme for the development of Russia’s
Far East and the Far East Development Fund.
The healthcare system should
be modern and affordable. First of all, this concerns primary care,
which is closest to people, upgrading equipment and digitising
outpatient clinics, hospitals and rural health centres, maternity
hospitals and perinatal centres, and the development
of ambulance aviation. This is especially important for the vast
and boundless expanses of the Russian Far East.
This work is already underway
around Russia, but here, in the Far East, we must create a truly
effective system of medical care that would meet, and perhaps even
surpass the best standards and practices.
I understand that this cannot
be done overnight. But we need to start working today, to start with
breakthrough pilot projects. Indeed, it is possible to create
a medical cluster in the Far Eastern Federal District with
a special regulation procedure, which would make it possible to open
subdivisions and branches of foreign clinics without excessive
formalities, attract the best foreign specialists, and use
pharmaceuticals and methods that have already proved their effectiveness
abroad.
This cluster should of course
function within the Russian jurisdiction, and all the details
should be carefully worked out by the Government agencies concerned,
and, above all, with the Ministry of Healthcare, of course.
I have said more than once
that for the Far East, we must propose special policies, advanced
mechanisms and flexible tools that take into account the specifics
of this vast territory, and the needs of the people
who live here.
We have ventured into such
experiments and economic innovations, and new ways to attract
investment and, as I said at the beginning, have obtained
a very positive result. The same approach should be used
in the development of social and public services.
I ask all federal agencies,
all our colleagues who are involved in the development
of the region to be guided by just such logic,
by the interests of the Far East, which essentially means
the interests of Russia.
Creating a new cultural,
educational and museum complex here in Vladivostok, Russia’s Far
East, should be a major step toward consolidating the national
educational and cultural space.
At the same time,
the network of museums, libraries, theatres, cultural,
extracurricular and vocational institutions is in need
of significant upgrades across Russia’s Far East. We need to breathe
new life into them by transforming them into interesting
and up-to-date centres capable of attracting people of all ages,
including children and teenagers.
We have just discussed this matter,
and I think that this is the third time that I am
mentioning our preliminary meeting: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that this
region has a lot of appeal and great tourist potential.
Of course, the creation
of a major national cultural and educational centre of this
kind that would include branches of Russia’s leading museums, such
as the Tretyakov Gallery, the Hermitage Museum, the Russian
Museum, and the Mariinsky Theatre, will certainly make Vladivostok
much more appealing for tourists.
Developing cultural offerings
in rural areas and towns is especially important. Let me share some
figures with you in this connection. Of the 1,834 communities
in Russia’s Far East, 1,614 have a population of less than 5,000
people each, while towns and villages can be hundreds of kilometres
apart. We need to make sure that this is taken into consideration. This
was also on the agenda of yesterday’s meeting with governors.
Among other things, we need
to adapt the Rural Doctor and the Rural Teacher national
programmes to Russia’s Far East. This could include offering doctors,
paramedics and teachers willing to relocate to small communities
in the Far East greater benefits. I propose doubling these
allocations for the Far East compared to the existing
national rates.
It goes without saying that we need
to be forward-looking. The future is in the hands
of today’s youngsters and school students who love their region
and want to live and work here. We need to offer them
an opportunity to get quality education regardless
of the income or financial situation of their families.
I believe that we need
to offer more targeted and state grants at Far Eastern
universities in areas where professionals are in very short supply,
so that the young people have their tuition fees covered
by the government, or by their potential employers. This
way, students will know for sure that they will get a job, which
solves employment-related problems.
Of course, young people
and people of all ages must have the ability to benefit
from online education, as well as telemedicine, information resources
and e-services, and access to digital platforms and services
that open up new horizons in terms of starting and running
businesses.
I would like to remind
you that more than half of all internet users on the planet live
in the Asia-Pacific region. Russia’s Far East has to keep up
with the global digital infrastructure and standards in this
sphere, including high-speed internet penetration rates.
I ask the Government
to take this into consideration when working on the Digital
Economy of Russia national programme. Let me reiterate that we need
to create an appropriate digital environment in terms of the challenges
we currently face and the fast technological change around
the world.
In this context, our second
most important objective for Russia’s Far East is to make it one
of the world’s top centres for high-technology, competences
and new industries, a centre of the most advanced
and quality jobs for high-skill professionals.
This must primarily benefit people
living in the Far East, meaning the Russian nationals who live
here, in this region. This is our position of principle.
The potential is there. It is
here, on Russky Island, that a new innovation cluster is being
created. A space industry cluster is emerging around the Vostochny
Space Launch Centre. Aircraft manufacturing, natural gas processing
and chemistry are all actively developing in the region.
The construction of the Zvezda shipyard is underway.
Of course, we plan
to focus on increasing the volume of value-added products.
It is a position of principle to which I would like
to draw the attention of Russian and international investors,
residents of priority development areas and the Free Port
of Vladivostok.
For example, we will raise
export duties on round timber, but at the same time, we are
ready to provide assistance to those who are willing to invest
in timber processing, and create the most favourable conditions
for the export of finished products, including to third
countries.
The same logic –
preferences and support for those who produce value-added
products – will be also applied in other spheres, including marine
resources and raw materials.
The conservation
and rational use of our timber potential is an important topic.
We plan to discuss it at the nation-wide level
at a meeting of the State Council.
We understand that
the creation of a powerful research and industrial centre
in the region is a challenging project. At the same
time, we see that it is also a very large window of opportunity.
In this context, we must set high requirements regarding
the effectiveness of the measures and decisions we propose.
This concerns primarily
the economy of the future and assistance
to the young teams that are implementing breakthrough ideas
and solutions. Start-ups led by young people are the most
powerful driving force of technological progress around the world.
We need more than just a legal
framework to ensure not only the proliferation of start-ups but
also their development into medium-sized and then into large companies.
Of course, we need regulations, but we must also create effective
financial instruments.
In this connection,
I suggest that a special venture fund be established
in the Far East. We discussed this idea yesterday; I support it.
I ask the Government to formulate practical proposals regarding
this, especially since the sources of funding are available.
Finally, our third strategic
objective is also quite bold. It is in step with the global
environmental agenda, the challenges facing not only Russia, but also
the entire planet.
I am referring
to developing Russia’s Far East as a global nature
and tourism centre, an international testing ground for working
out ways to tackle a question that matters to all of us:
how to ensure harmony between economic activity and green tourism,
between making nature accessible to the public and preserving
unique ecosystems.
The marvellous natural beauty
of Russia’s Far East already attracts hundreds of thousands
of tourists. In 2016, 5.2 million people visited the region,
including 750,000 foreigners. Last year total visits rose to 7 million,
including about one million foreigners.
The natural beauties
of Russia’s Far East include Lake Baikal, the Kronotsky Reserve
in Kamchatka, Alkhanai National Park in the Trans-Baikal
Territory, and other places. There are quite a few of them
in this region.
There are a total of 64
natural territories that benefit from federal protection status. Let me note
that I have already issued an instruction to trace
and register the boundaries of all reserves, national parks
and other protected areas. I ask that these efforts be accelerated,
first and foremost in the Far East.
At the same time, we need
to be more active in launching public-private partnerships
in tourism. We need to invite responsible investors and offer
them special incentives, subject to strict observation
of the standards and rules of sustainable tourism.
Of course, we need advanced
information services offering people convenient access to any information
they may need: when and where to travel, what tourist route
to pick. Foreigners should be able to apply for visas using this
service.
Incidentally, it is here
in Vladivostok that e-visas were first introduced, substantially
streamlining the formalities that foreign tourists and businesspeople
have to go through. More than 140,000 visas of this kind have been
issued over the past two years.
All the development goals we
are discussing as well as, most importantly, new modern standards
of living call for a fundamentally new level of mobility.
For the Far East, this implies above all a developed network
of air transportation and affordable tickets within the region
as well as to Siberia, central Russia and abroad.
By 2024, we will have
modernised 40 airports in the Far East. We will employ
the capacities of the Far Eastern aircraft manufacturing plants
in Ulan-Ude, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Arsenyev to expand
the network of domestic flights and renew the pool
of regional and local aircraft and helicopters.
I would like to add that
safety and comfort are the most important things when it comes
to air carriers around the world. One more priority for airlines
operating in the Far East must be affordable tickets.
I believe it would be logical
if the airlines that are willing to increase their operations
in the Far East and to pursue a responsible
and reasonable pricing policy were offered a preferential right
to make flights in other, more profitable regions.
We discussed this with
the Transport Minister yesterday. I do hope that he is listening
to me today. In general, this system is already being applied, but we
need to reinforce it. I understand that this is not
a commercially effective method, but it is justified in this region.
However, we must discuss ways of formalising it.
Friends,
We have very ambitious development
goals in the Far East, and the attainment of these
goals involves partnership and the pooling of efforts.
We are ready for such
cooperation, and we are open to everyone who is interested
in it. We believe in the future of our cooperation
and the future of the Russian Far East.
To succeed in this
region, just as across our huge country as a whole, we need
a consolidated society, the contribution and the involvement
of everyone who is willing to contribute their skills, their energy
and their knowledge to the common goal. This is our mindset,
and this means that all our plans and the most daring
of our dreams will definitely become reality.
I would like to wish all
forum guests and participants every success and all the very
best.
Thank you.
<…>
Plenary session moderator Sergei
Brilyov: Mr President, I would like to specify one thing.
In one sentence of your speech, you mentioned such gems
of development as the Vostochny Space Launch Centre,
the plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (although it is formally old, it now
manufactures the most sophisticated aircraft), the Zvezda shipyard
and priority development areas (PDAs). Do you expect foreign investment
in such facilities as Zvezda, the space centre
and the aircraft plant as well?
Vladimir
Putin: Of course.
There has already been such
investment in the aircraft plant. We know our Sukhoi Su-30, Su-34++,
Su-35 fighters and now Su-57 fifth-generation fighters,
and the entire world also knows them. We jointly manufacture Sukhoi
Superjet airliners with Italian and French partners. We are working there,
and we are open to such cooperation. Although we have nothing
to hide, there is still one thing.
Sergei Brilyov: This is exactly
what I mean.
Vladimir Putin: We securely
conceal what we are still supposed to keep under wraps.
At the same time, there is every opportunity for modern
and cost-effective co-production arrangements.
The space launch centre is not
a military space launch centre. We are now deciding who should build its
next stages. To be honest, this space launch centre should primarily
handle civilian launches. Therefore we don’t merely believe that we can work
there together with foreign partners, but we are interested in this,
and we will certainly involve them in this cooperation.
Russia and India implement
joint space exploration projects, we work actively on these programmes
with the People’s Republic of China; in principle, we maintain
good cooperation with the European Space Agency, and we hope that
this process will continue to develop, and we also cooperate with
the United States. The many spacecraft that we launch
in the interests of our foreign partners, including the United
States. There are plans to launch many of them from
the Vostochny Space Launch Centre. Therefore I don’t see any single
direction that might be off limits to our foreign partners.
On the contrary, we are interested in attracting them; this also
concerns the Zvezda facility that you mentioned.
Prime Minister Modi
and I visited Zvezda only yesterday. The facility will build
modern large-capacity ships for operations on the continental
shelf, in the Arctic zone and for carrying liquefied
natural gas, petroleum products and other consignments. The Prime
Minister and I had a discussion yesterday, and we will
search for opportunities for joint work. Quite possibly, individual
vessels will be partially built in Russia. Such international
co-production arrangements are flourishing all over the world. Russia will
build parts of vessels, and Indian shipyards will complete them.
Our famous leading company Rosneft
that owns a major refinery in India has recently bought
a controlling stake in it. And its area of responsibility
includes a major Indian port. Therefore we have many interdependent areas
of cooperation. There are no closed subjects; on the contrary,
we are interested in attracting our partners.
<…>
Vladimir Putin (replying
to a question about the Kuril Islands): When I was
in Japan several years ago, I spoke in public about
the history of these territories. There was a time when Russia
had legal grounds to consider the islands its property, and it
turned them over to Japan voluntarily, by decision
of the Russian emperor, as a token of friendship. Next
followed the tragic events of 1905, the Russo-Japanese war
and the situation in Sakhalin. And then WWII. It is
a complicated story with numerous parts.
But there is also
the humanitarian factor. I cannot but agree with Shinzo [Abe] that
until these problems are settled we must do everything possible so that those
who have connections with these territories in any way do not feel like
the victims of the past geopolitical events. Based on these
humanitarian considerations, we have not just made concessions for these
people, responding to the wishes of the Prime Minister
of Japan, but we have done so in an exclusive manner. Few people
know about or understand the essence of this exclusiveness. It
means that we not only give Japanese citizens an opportunity to visit
the islands, but we have also lifted visa requirements for such
visits. This solution has a political component, because the Japanese
authorities refuse to issue visas to visit these islands. We are
aware of this sensitive problem and have decided to make this
concession.
Of course, it looks strange
to us that Japan denies visas not to certain individuals but
to everyone who lives in Crimea. Where is Japan and where is
Crimea?
We accept with understanding
the phrase that one should believe in Japan, and we do believe
in it. This is truly a very kind and positive request. But we
have masses of questions regarding the peace treaty, and, unfortunately,
they concern more than just our bilateral relations. There are also military,
defence and security matters when we have to respect
the positions of other countries as well as Japan’s
obligations to other countries, including the United States. That
country has not only kind words but also a saying that dates back
to the 1920s or 1930s: You can get much further with a kind
word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone. We
understand this, we know about this, and we must take this into account.
It is just that when replying
to your question I want to say that this looks like
a simple problem, but it is a problem we inherited from
the past. However, we – Shinzo and me – really want
to settle it. No matter how difficult it may be, we will proceed from
the 1956 Declaration, as Mr Prime Minister has said, toward
a comprehensive settlement of all our problems, and we will be
working towards a peace treaty.
<…>
Sergei Brilyov: I cannot help
pointing out that Ukrainian investors are here with us today. Mr Medvedchuk is
an investor. Mr President, when will the exchange [between Russia
and Ukraine] happen?
Vladimir Putin: I think Mr
Medvedchuk will torment me with it now. I know he is particularly
concerned about several people that are in prison in the Russian
Federation. We in fact had to make very difficult decisions regarding
specific people, these specific people. But, on humanitarian grounds, we
have made it to the final stage in the ongoing
negotiations, including with the official authorities. So I think
the results will be announced in the near future.
Sergei Brilyov: The prospects
of exchanges and further negotiations with Ukraine are a kind
of compass, if I may say so, in relations with those countries,
say, the G7 countries. Mr President, what will happen next, after
the exchange? What will happen next on the Ukrainian track,
between Russia and Ukraine?
Vladimir Putin:I think that
from a historical perspective – I believe this will happen
inevitably – bilateral relations will return to normal, because we
are two parts of the same Slavic people. I have spoken about
this many times. As for the near future, this will largely
depend on the current Ukrainian leadership.
Sergei Brilyov: Can we expect
anything by the end of this week, or would it be better not
to mention any dates?
Vladimir Putin: I have already
said that we are finalising our negotiations on exchanges. I think
that we are talking about a large and high-profile exchange.
And it could be a good step forward towards normalisation.
<…>
Sergei Brilyov: If they invite you,
will you go, Mr President?
Vladimir Putin: Where to?
Sergei Brilyov:
To the G8. The next meeting is in the [United] States,
as far as I know. Mr Trump will be in the midst
of a re-election campaign though.
Vladimir Putin: At one point,
the G8 meeting was to have been held in Russia.
Sergei Brilyov: In Sochi, yes.
Vladimir Putin: We are open. If our
partners want to visit, we will be happy to see them. (Applause.) It
was not us who postponed it; it was our partners. If they want to restore
the G8, let them do it. But I think everyone understands today,
and President Macron recently said publicly that the Western hegemony
is ending. I cannot imagine any effective international organisation
without India or China. (Applause.)
Any format can be of benefit,
because it always involves a positive exchange of opinion, even when
conversations are tense; as I understand it, this is what happened
at the G7 this time, but it was still useful. So we do not reject any
format of cooperation.
Sergei Brilyov: Mr President,
there were contacts with Mr Trump recently, and now we again hear this
idea about the G8. Where shall we start? There is a backlog
of all sorts of things that has built up in our relations over
the past years.
I looked through
the statistics. Last year, 40 Russian citizens, just private individuals,
were arrested at the request of the United States
in third countries. During the last year alone! January 2019: citizen
Makarenko. I do not know what the charges are against him. But
the very fact… I have just seen: Korshunov [detained] in Naples,
he could be from the United Engine Corporation.
Is it easy to ignore this?
In general, how can we resume dialogue against this background?
Vladimir Putin: These is
a very bad practice that complicates our interstate relations. I am
not joking or being ironic. Often, we do not see any grounds
for unfriendly actions of this sort. Moreover, I have every
reason to think that occasionally this is linked to rivalry. There
are probably some criminal aspects, but it is our law enforcement agencies that
should cooperate on this. We should sign relevant interstate instruments
and agreements on how to act in such cases. Incidentally,
some of these instruments are already in existence.
Sergei Brilyov: I think we
have a 1999 agreement on legal assistance, don’t we?
Vladimir Putin: There are some
instruments, but, in fact, they do not work. They could be reactivated.
But, in part, this is linked
to rivalry, for example, in the aircraft building sphere.
I have already said that we were about to launch a very good
aircraft, a very good, competitive medium-haul airliner, the MS-21.
It is clearly a rival to the Boeing 737. But they upped
and entered its wing items on the sanctions list. This is
totally unrelated to defence. Totally!
We will manufacture these
in Russia. It is just that cooperation would be more
to the point and we were ready to buy the relevant
American materials, just as they buy a lot of our titanium
and use our titanium to manufacture their Boeings. We will do this
anyway. It will take time: we thought it would be about two years, but probably
a shorter timeframe will be required – eighteen months. This aircraft
is already flying. And we will develop these materials.
And in some respects this is perhaps a good thing because we
will have materials of our own and will depend on no one
in this regard.
Now let us talk about
the concrete person you have mentioned, who manufactures engines
and has a job with the Engine Corporation. How should we react
to the charges and hints to the effect that he was
stealing certain secrets? We have heard the same accusations brought
against the People’s Republic of China. We do not know what is going
on there. I think that it is also fiction – mainly – but
in this particular case we know it for sure.
This United Engine Corporation has
developed a new Russian engine. The process took a long time;
this is our first hi-tech product in the last 28 years. It was
developed by our Engine Corporation and specific plants with very
good competences, qualified personnel, and world-class scientific
potential. Of course, we have signed a consultancy contract with
an Italian firm. This is an absolutely natural international
practice. This is an open commercial engagement with European partners.
Today, our American friends are
claiming that certain Americans allegedly joined this firm and stole
something. If they did so, we do not need anything from what they have stolen,
because we have done all that with our own hands and our heads,
the heads of our specialists. Consultations and joint work
on modern hi-tech products are an absolutely natural, open
and public activity.
This is why I think that in this
case we are definitely up against attempts at unfair competition. This is
not improving our relations. (Applause.)
Sergei
Brilyov: On August 27, many international news agencies,
including France Presse, reported the upcoming deliveries of US air defence
systems to Japan.
This can change the missile
scene in Asia, given the demise of the INF Treaty
and the specifications of the launchers deployed
in Romania and Poland, about which even ordinary people know.
I would like to remind those who may have forgotten this that,
although the Gorbachev-Reagan treaty only concerned Europe,
the Soviet Union also destroyed such weapons in Asia.
Mr President, I have two
questions for you. If anyone would like to offer their comments, we
would be grateful. The first question concerns your vision
of a possible missile control or reduction mechanism
for Asia, and whether we will need it, especially in light
of the deployment of US missiles. Second, how will this
influence our talks with Japan?
Vladimir Putin: Our position
regarding the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty is well known. There
is no need to repeat it again. We do not appreciate that decision;
moreover, we believe that it is a counterproductive step that is
undermining the international system of arms control
and security.
We have stated publicly after
the Americans tested their missile (we will produce such missiles
as well) that we will not deploy our missiles in the regions
that do not have such US ground-launched missiles.
We are not happy with
the Pentagon chief’s statement regarding US plans to deploy these
missiles in Japan and South Korea. We are worried and alarmed.
Actually, this is why I discussed this subject with the Prime
Minister many times before the Americans manufactured such missiles. If
they are deployed in Japan or South Korean, we know that this will be
done under the pretext of neutralising the threats coming from
North Korea. However, this will also create considerable problems for us,
because these missiles will be most likely able to cover a large part
of Russia’s territory, in particular in the Russian Far
East.
I would like to remind
you that we have two large naval bases of surface ships here
in Vladivostok, as well as a base of strategic nuclear
submarines on Kamchatka. This is a very serious business. And we
certainly cannot turn a blind eye to it. This will also be
a part of our talks with Japan and South Korea. We do not know
yet how our Japanese and South Korean partners will react. We did not
discuss this matter with Mr Prime Minister today.
By the way, we pointed
out more than once that the MK 41 launchers can be used not only
to launch air defence anti-missiles but also to fire strike missiles.
The Americans kept saying that this is not so. And then they have
launched the new missile from the MK 41 VLS. In other words,
these launchers are part of strike missile systems, and we were
right, just like in many other cases too. This means that they were trying
to deceive us. We have no illusions regarding this, but we will have
to respond appropriately to this.
<…>
Sergei Brilyov: Mr President,
some young people have been taking to the streets
in the past few Saturdays, for example. Are they your young
people?
Vladimir Putin: I believe
that all of us, and especially young people, should spend their
energy on constructive processes.
When people express their views,
also during protests, and I have already noted this, I believe
that they have the right to do so. And this sometimes yields
positive results because people shake up the authorities and lead
them in the right direction, so that they address people’s problems
more effectively. But they should act positively, and they should be
guided by the interests of the country
and the people, rather than their own narrow mercenary and group
interests, and act in line with the established regulations
and laws. I have always adhered to this viewpoint,
and I continue to voice it, and situations
and developments in the world and in neighbouring
countries show that this approach is correct.
As for “for you”
or “against you,” I am convinced that these are people, and,
of course, there are many different kinds of people among them, but
mostly positive-minded people who want the country to develop
and to contribute to its development. The only thing is
that they need to find their place in life.
And the authorities have to do everything possible for them
to find their place in life and to be able to apply
their knowledge and talents for the country’s constructive
development.
Young people are always impulsive
and active, and this is good. I repeat: all this should comply
with current legislation. But I am confident that many of those
people who are engaged in political activities will be in high demand
in the future, in terms of their careers and politics,
too.
Sergei Brilyov: Mr President,
I remember the experience of my generation. I am 47
years old, and I was a high-school student in the late
1980s. In the early 1990s, my friends and I started
attending rallies. I recall vividly a major rally against Article 6
of the Soviet Constitution in Moscow. All of us who were
students at the time also took part. That article implied that
the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the nucleus
of the country’s political system.
We had precisely these considerations
in mind while taking part in the rally. When we reached Zubovsky
Boulevard, where the rally took place, we saw hundreds of thousands
of people or almost a million people there. All
of a sudden, someone yelled from the rostrum:
“The Politburo must resign! Those in favour, raise your hands.” It
seemed impolite not to raise one’s hand, and everyone started doing
it, although the rally had a different purpose initially.
In some cases, it is very easy
to mislead young people. Perhaps it would be better to treat them
more gently in some situations?
Vladimir Putin: We should
treat everyone in one and the same manner, in line with
the law.
Sergei Brilyov:
As for security matters, we have still a few things
to discuss, and the same applies to political matters.
Taking a look into the audience just a few moments ago
I noticed Mr Medvedchuk once again, which reminded me of President
Zelensky’s statement that the For Life party benefits from foreign
funding. Mr President, are you aware of this statement? What do you think
about it?
Vladimir Putin: No, I have not
seen this statement. But if it was actually made, it means that
the current authorities in Kiev are risking to run into the same
trap as the preceding Ukrainian leadership, as was the case
for the previous president, I mean former president, Mr
Poroshenko. So if the current authorities go after the opposition, no
good will come out of it. As far as I understand, this is
the parliamentary opposition that has the trust
of a considerable number of voters who expressed their support
during a democratic election. For this reason, it would be strange
to see any tightening of screws. They are not invading squares
or demanding the impossible. They work within the framework
of the Ukrainian Constitution and applicable laws.
In my opinion any attempts to prevent them from enjoying their
constitutional rights would be a grave mistake.
<…>
Sergei Brilyov: Mr President, what
about the presence of Russia’s military and navy in this
region [the Strait of Hormuz]? It was quite substantial back
in the Soviet days.
Vladimir Putin: We could easily do
this, considering the progress in the development
of Russia’s Armed Forces and Navy. The question is whether
initiatives of this kind are effective, facilitate settlement
and improve the security in the region, including
in the Strait of Hormuz.
A few years ago Russia came
forward with an initiative to establish an international
mechanism with involvement of almost all the interested countries
of the region, as well as those who are interested
in the normal operation of these routes, which would include
Russia, Asian countries and the United States.
In the future, we could even establish a specialised international
organisation for dealing with matters of this kind. We are currently
discussing this proposal with our colleagues, including with our Chinese
partners, as well as others. Let us wait and see where it takes
us. Russia is undoubtedly interested in promoting detente
and preventing any further escalation so that all the parties
involved contribute to calming down this situation and resolving
the problems, including those related to the Iranian nuclear
programme, in keeping with the existing international instruments
approved by the corresponding resolutions of the United
Nations.
Sergei Brilyov: Here is
my last question about security. Interestingly, a notable change has
taken place where NATO has now three nuclear powers – the United
States, Great Britain and France – whereas the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation has already four, Russia, China, India
and Pakistan. Of course, much depends on Russia-US agreements,
including in the sphere of strategic stability. What do you
think, Mr President? In your 2017 Address to the Federal
Assembly, new types of high-tech weapons, in particular, supersonic,
were presented.
Vladimir Putin: Hypersonic.
Sergei Brilyov: Can they be part
of a bigger deal with the Americans?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, we operate
on the premise that the existing tools, in fact, only one
of them – START-3 which was concluded between Russia
and the United States – is still in force… The United
States has put forward a new idea where it wants to involve China
in this joint work, but the Chinese responded quite reasonably that
the Chinese nuclear potential is much lower than that of Russia
or the United States, and they are not sure what exactly they
should reduce if they already have fewer carriers and warheads. Their
reasoning makes sense.
But let's not forget that
the United States has not even joined the nuclear test ban treaty.
Sergei Brilyov: It has not ratified
it.
Vladimir Putin: Not ratified means
hasn’t joined.
There is talk about deploying
weapons in space. These are very serious challenges that humanity may
face. Imagine, there will be some kind of a weapon, maybe nuclear,
hovering at all times on a geostationary orbit over
the head of each of us, meaning each of them as well.
The flight time will be very short, and the defence equipment
will be very complex. Indeed, this can drastically change the security
situation around the world.
So far, our American partners have
remained silent with regard to our proposals to maintain contacts
in the sphere of disarmament and containing the arms race.
In fact, there is nothing new here. Most recently, we met with our US
partners in Osaka, and also raised the question about how we can
include our latest weapons, including hypersonic strike missile systems,
in a general agreement. I mean no other country, including
the United States, has such weapons.
I told Donald: “If you want,
we can sell it to you and thus balance out everything in one
go.” Truth be told, they are saying they will soon start making it themselves.
Perhaps, they will. But why spend money when we have already spent it
and can get something from them without jeopardising our security, but
with an eye towards creating a situation of balance?
We can discuss how and what we
can count keeping in mind the number of carriers
and warheads. This is a special question. In any case, Russia is
ready for this dialogue and this discussion. But so far we have not
received a clear answer from the Americans.
<…>
Sergei Brilyov: Mr President, just
look how we see eye to eye here when it comes to environmental
protection. Maybe, this is the most promising subject in Northeastern
Asia or Asia in general.
Vladimir Putin: Ecology is very
closely linked with energy. This is what we are all talking about here. Russia
is not the least affected by global warming. I have already
spoken about this at the G20 summit. In my opinion
according to our data and what international experts are saying,
global warming here is taking place 2.5 times faster than
in the world as a whole. This poses certain problems
for us, primarily in the north where buildings are built
on permafrost. Regarding this, what should we do and how should we do
it? This is the question.
We support all international
efforts in this field. We backed the Paris agreements
and assumed fairly serious commitments – to reduce emissions
by 70–75 percent from the base year, 1990. Incidentally, the EU
countries have taken more modest obligations since that year. They
promise to reduce emissions by 60 percent.
Electric cars have now been
discussed. For the first time in recent history international
organisations saw an acute decline in their sales. There are certain
reasons for this. But in this country environmental problems are not
linked with global warming alone. They are also due to the use
of gas fuel, a large number of cars in big cities require
this and the use of different types of fuel, including
coal, in the utilities sector. All these matters are reflected
in the programme that we have drafted to improve
the environmental situation in the country. This is one
of the problems.
At the same time
I would like to note that on a global scale
the structure of the Russian energy industry is one
of the “greenest” in the world. The hydropower
and nuclear energy account for over one third of our power
industry; gas amounts to more than 50 percent of it and gas is
known to be the most environmentally friendly fuel of all
hydrocarbons. And we are still a country that is rich
in hydrocarbons. This is our competitive advantage and we should use
it to the utmost.
But, of course, we should not
sidetrack from the main trend, we should not ignore what is going
to happen tomorrow. On the contrary, we must be up to date
and deal with modern alternative energy sources, including
the hydrogen economy. We are doing this.
Over a period
of the past few years we put 800 megawatts of renewable energy
sources into service. We are working on this. By 2024 we plan
on making 4.2–4.7 gigawatts of alternative energy sources available.
We have just signed an agreement with Fortum, our Finnish partners,
concerning an excellent wind farm. We are also dealing with solar power.
By and large we believe that this trend is absolutely correct
and we will do everything we can to implement our plans regarding
environmental protection.
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