VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.
Audience: Good afternoon.
Remark: Mr Putin, you know, we must have spent about an hour debating how we should greet you.
Vladimir Putin: Without beating around the bush. In a loud, commanding voice, so that even people in the mountains will hear.
Remark: Yes. There are many ethnic groups in the Caucasus, and so we had many different greetings to choose from. This is what we have decided. Here is our common Caucasian…
Audience: Salaam!
Remark: The Cossacks of the North Caucasus have decided to greet you in the traditional Cossack way: Pretty nice day to you.
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon. Guys, I know that this is the second year that you… This may be your second year in a row at this meeting… This is the second time this meeting is being held, it is called Mashuk, and I understand that you are active participants in this event.
I have recently visited another youth forum, Seliger. I must say I was impressed, and not only because I was greeted very warmly there, although obviously that was pleasant. But this is not what matters. The important thing is that I saw what kind of people meet there – not just young and beautiful people, just like you, but also people who are determined to turn the ideas that they have in mind into concrete results. I am sure that the same can be said for the people at this meeting, so I will not deliver a long and boring speech. I suggest that we get right into it, start a lively exchange of views and discuss your proposals. But first I want to say that the Caucasus is definitely a very distinct region of Russia. You have welcomed me in different languages, but we also have many things in common, in particular a common homeland, Russia. It is what unites us. We have common roots and, more importantly, a common future. Of course, while guided by the achievements of past generations, we should look to the future and build it together. Let’s talk about this. Go ahead.
Question: Good afternoon. I am Musa and from Kabardino-Balkaria. Before asking my question, I’d like to thank you for coming here, for the attention you are giving to the North Caucasus and its young people.
As you have said, we have held the Caucasus youth educational forum, Mashuk-2011, this year. The standards of the forum have improved. We waited for you there, but circumstances must have prevented you from coming. But as you have visited Tver, we would like you to promise us that you will attend Mashuk-2012 next year.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Question: We are always happy to have you with us. Now, back to my question, I’d like to ask your opinion on something. Some experts view the North Caucasus as a burden holding back Russia’s economic growth. Others believe the region could be an engine driving the country’s development. My question pertains to this. What are the prospects for the North Caucasus in the next 15 years, and what role will it play in the country’s social, political and economic development?
Vladimir Putin: The Caucasus, the North Caucasus is not a burden but rather one of Russia’s gems. This is due, first and foremost, to its high-quality and very powerful human potential as well as its very deep cultural foundations. The North Caucasus also allows Russia to assert our geopolitical interests in this region of the world, which is very important for Russia now and in the future.
It is no secret that the Caucasus has many problems. These problems are nothing new, they have always been there. Diplomatic correspondence on the Caucasus from the early 20th century, or even the early 19th century, which I recently read, could have been written yesterday. Everything’s the same. Everything written by our diplomats in European countries – it really could have been written yesterday. Just listen: “We must take urgent measures to normalise the situation in the Caucasus, because here, in Europe, we are constantly being nagged about these problems…” And so on. The nagging isn’t what I’m referring to but that we still need to normalise the situation in the Caucasus. In terms of problems, we must first of all try to create conditions for secure development. All residents of the North Caucasus should feel a) that they are living in their homeland and b) that the state ensures their security. Unfortunately, we still need to work on the former. To accomplish this, to achieve this objective, we must first solve the socio-economic problems in the region. We must develop industry, agriculture, science and education, and pay more attention to schools and universities.
I don’t want to give a long and tedious answer, but, as you know, we are implementing a project for the federal North Caucasus University in Stavropol on the basis of the existing university. By the way, there are a lot of problems surrounding this (I have just discussed this with the governor and with the presidential envoy here, who is also my deputy). There used to be approximately 34,000 students in the region, whereas now there are over 170,000. This is a disgrace. It is just a disgrace that there are over 70 university branches. As a result, diplomas from the North Caucasus are worthless, which is not the North Caucasus’s fault. The federal regulatory bodies are to blame. There are many other problems for which the North Caucasus is not solely responsible. So we cannot excuse our inaction by saying they are exclusively the region’s problems.
Obviously, we must solve the problem of unemployment. The governor just informed me that unemployment in Stavropol is a little over 5%. The unemployment rate is several times higher in the North Caucasus than the average in Russia. This is the number one problem today, and it must be solved. To accomplish this, we must create not low-paying, lowly jobs, but high-paying, prestigious jobs. We must develop high technology, which is well suited to the North Caucasus, and a tourist cluster. As you know, there is a programme to develop a tourist cluster in the Caucasus, which covers practically all of its republics.
It is not only ski resorts. If you just look around, there is so much to be proud of. This is a clear, God-given competitive advantage, as they say. And we should take advantage of this, but we should do so wisely. We have talked about creating more than 400,000 jobs in the North Caucasus in the near future. This could help us finally address one of our most pressing issues: the problem of unemployment, and youth unemployment in particular. There are many plans, and I don't doubt that they will be implemented. Of course, this is only possible with your support. Next question, please.
Aishat Akhmedova (journalist): Good afternoon, my name is Aishat Akhmedova, from the Republic of Dagestan. Russia is a multiethnic country. Unfortunately, there has been a surge of ethnic conflicts recently. Do you think this is happening because of a lack of common ideas that could unite our peoples? Does it follow that we should be looking for an external threat when there are urgent problems within our country that need to be addressed? Do you think that this xenophobia could in part be caused by such generous financial support for the North Caucasus, which many people believe is dragging Russia down?
Vladimir Putin: I have already talked about what is or is not dragging us down. Xenophobia is the result of ignorance and the lack of a clear understanding of what we are today and the direction we need to move in. But it is certainly a very complicated problem. I've expressed myself several times, at the Seliger Forum, for instance, and I wish to repeat myself here: Russia has formed from the beginning as a centralised state, as a multi-faith and multiethnic country. Over hundreds of years, practically a thousand years since Russia formed as a centralised state, a unique culture has emerged based on the relations between different peoples and faiths. This is a hugely positive experience.
Recently, in modern times, the world has been facing difficult times that we too have been affected by. For us, this is related to the collapse of the Soviet Union. To some extent, it is due to the destruction of the former economic and social order in the 1990s. Everything collapsed -- everything, without exaggeration! The Caucasus is no exception. The peripheral areas started to think about whom they should align themselves with in order to live better. The North-West looked to Finland, the East looked to Japan. Wherever you turned at that time, everyone was looking for an anchor. The Caucasus was looking as well -- they thought that if they connected with a branch of Islam, it would make life better. This turned out to be a deceit. It started as self-deception, and later became simply a deceit. People who were in no way related to traditional Islam began to impose their order on the religious sphere in the Caucasus. Both religious leaders and the people of the North Caucasus felt this. Incidentally, this was one of the key factors that helped to curb terrorism. Clearly, there are still many problems in this area. Terrorism changes, it imitates gangsters and becomes a kind of property redistribution. There are still problems, but the people realised that something alien was being imposed upon them, and they started fighting it. This is the first point. Then, has life in the North Caucasus improved as a result of them looking for a way to align themselves with countries that appeared rich and prosperous? No, life has changed for the worse. Incomes have fallen almost to nothing, and education has almost completely collapsed. I clearly remember the first time I visited Chechnya, I think it was in 2000. There were no desks in the classrooms, there was no furniture at all. Children didn't go to school for years. Here is the result. The solution comes from the understanding that we can only live better if we work together and focus our efforts on developing our country here, at home. In this regard, this understanding must of course lead us to the idea that our future and our prosperity depend on the unity of all ethnicities and faiths. This understanding should lead to another conclusion, that we must be tolerant to other peoples and faiths in Russia, because we need to consolidate our strength instead of tearing it apart. This should be easier for us than for Western Europe, for example, because their immigrants are foreigners while we are all citizens of the same country, we are all children of the same mother, Russia.
Still, a lot depends on the domestic culture. Consider, in some European countries there are issues, for example, with women who want to wear a veil. Perhaps it would be better for me not talk about this because it will probably immediately fall under some kind of criticism, but I'm going to anyway. Of course, people must be allowed to live how they want to, but when they end up in a different cultural environment, they should respect the people they have chosen to live among. And if people perceive this behaviour as religious or cultural aggression, if it provokes rejection, they need to understand this and not impose their own rules. I fully admit that there are people with radical views, but they should go and live in a country where these radical views are accepted as the norm. At the same time, one needs to respect the representatives of different cultures, languages and faiths. What happens when people start crossing certain borders (let's take Europe as an example rather than ourselves, as it's easier to to talk about others) and the local citizens perceive that the government is not trying to protect them -- what does this lead to? This leads to radical elements starting to take power. Then people with opposing radical views start to fight them, which further aggravates the situation. It is a dead end. Therefore, social organisations and youth organisations -- perhaps youth organisations more than anything else -- must be an example of mutual tolerance and a consolidation of efforts towards addressing this issue. If we rely on the positive experience of the previous generations, we definitely can and will solve these problems.
Dzhanibek Kuzhev: Dzhanibek Kuzhev, Karachayevo-Circassia. I would like to make a comment first. Last week our village, Dombay, hosted a forum organised by the Russian Congress of the Peoples of the Caucasus and the Elbrusoid Foundation.
Vladimir Putin: What foundation?
Dzhanibek Kuzhev: The Elbrusoid Foundation. It is a foundation in Karachayevo-Circassia and Kabardino-Balkaria that supports the youth and youth culture. The forum was attended by representatives of some Russian nationalist organisations. They had an opportunity to speak. The conversation was very lively, and I admit that some conflicts arose. But in the end, they stood up and danced the lezginka together with us. I believe that if we want to reach a mutual understanding, we need to allow these discussions to happen, we need to meet and speak with each other more often, and give reasonable explanations about why something should be done one way and not another. We would understand each other better and life together would be so much easier.
Vladimir Putin: You know, what you said is not even a question, it is a proposal. And it is absolutely correct. When people begin to communicate with each other, this almost always leads to understanding. The best example of the consolidation of the entire Soviet Union is, of course, the Great Patriotic War. Nobody differentiated between the people of the Caucasus, the Russians, the Belorussians or the Ukrainians. The peoples of the Soviet Union were united; they all stood up to defend their Fatherland. When misfortune comes to a house, there is no division -- on the contrary, everybody helps one another. There are so many such examples in our history, and I have already spoken publicly about this as well. During the Time of Troubles, for instance, when people from the Volga regions and Kazan came to liberate Moscow, which was occupied by the Polish Commonwealth, who summoned them? This person was ethnically a Tatar (you see?), who spent his whole fortune on that army. Again, examples abound in Russian history. Our country is strong because of so many ethnic and cultural roots that support this huge tree in any weather.
Yelena Gorokhova: Mr Putin, my name is Yelena Gorokhova, I am from the Stavropol Territory. The Stavropol Territory, where I was born and where I still live, has a kind of unique experience. For many years, a dozen ethnicities have lived in peace in the eastern parts of our region. As a direct result of this peaceful coexistence, a huge number of traditions and customs has emerged. Incidentally, we studied them with the young people at the Mashuk Forum. My question is, why can't our republics use this experience and stop clashing with each other?
Vladimir Putin: These are very sensitive issues. You know, this is not only a matter of the conflict of the republics in the North Caucasus with other constituent entities of the Russian Federation. There are some 2,000 potential territorial disputes, including disputes between the republics in the North Caucasus themselves. Yes, and there are a great many of them! There are even conflicts between the peoples who are closely related, who are basically the same ethnicity, but are divided by regional borders. There are also territorial conflicts. I was speaking with disputing parties once and I said, guys, let’s live together peacefully, we should not ever open this Pandora’s box in this country. If it starts it will never end. Therefore, examples like the one you presented need to be replicated and spread everywhere. I believe it will help. Events like the Mashuk Forum provide an opportunity to share this positive experience.
Yelena Gorokhova: Allow me to respond. You know, replicating this experience is perhaps a secondary issue. I represent the Contrast-Terra youth information agency based in the North Caucasus. This project was launched online about a year ago. Now we are a proper information agency that can even compete with the ‘adult’ media. Moreover, within this short period of time we have provided information support to the largest youth events in the North Caucasus, such as the 2011 Mashuk Forum and its Dombay-2011 camp.
In short, the agency has positioned itself to be a messenger of the most positive events in the North Caucasus. Besides, thanks to the support of the presidential envoy, our young team has had internship opportunities at Russia’s best information agencies
Vladimir Putin: After this he will do even more for you. This day was not wasted for you, believe me.
Yelena Gorokhova: The projects are funded by grants but they will run out one day. Here’s my question: in what direction should we develop these projects and do they have a future?
Vladimir Putin: Of course, they do. We have a lot of news agencies but there are only a few leading ones and the information market has great prospects. It is very promising. Support is essential at the first stage. So, the envoy has given you support. He’s not only an envoy, he’s also a deputy prime minister. He’s such a place-hunter and has many opportunities. If he formulates the need to continue grant-funded support (and he knows how to do this|), we’ll provide it by all means. We’ll do this all the more so since you are working in such an important, priority area as the North Caucasus and provide information support that is necessary to address very sensitive local issues. We have grant-funded support for different departments and we’ll help you by all means.
Yelena Gorokhova: This is great. Thank you. And here’s a booklet with our agency’s best photos from Mount Mashuk. I’ll hand it over to you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Alexei Vereshchagin: Mr Putin, my name is Alexei Vereshchagin, Stavropol Territory. Here’s my question. It seems that they are building or are going to build a huge tourist industry in the North Caucasus and are pinning great hopes on it. I think this task involves a number of complicated issues and even if they can be resolved, this will take time. To begin with, the highlanders are proud people. We all know about hospitality in the Caucasus and this is true but I don’t think they will be ready to wait on some tourists like they do in Switzerland. I’m sorry to use the word “service” in a bad sense but I don’t think they will be ready to clean rooms and so on. I just don’s see such a potential in them. They are proud people. They are ready to fight but not to become servants. This is one point.
Second, I think instability will obstruct the development of tourism here.
Vladimir Putin: And where do you live?
Alexei Vereshchagin: I live in Stavropol. There are certain places like Dombai, Elbrus and the Caucasus Mineral Waters, where everything goes. These places are so attractive that tourism will develop there. But if you take some other regions without such a powerful infrastructure and natural resources… The situation is too volatile in the Caucasus. We know if we invite tourists from Moscow, only skiers or snowboarders will come. They won’t come without a valid reason. In other words, there are problems.
Now my idea is that maybe it would be better to develop agriculture and the food industry in these republics? The government is not doing much to develop agriculture in the North Caucasus Federal District although the republics have a potential for it.
Are you planning to do anything to this end? And is it worth investing huge money in the tourist industry if it doesn’t have global prospects in the near future? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: The proposal to develop other industries is absolutely valid, as the bureaucrats will put it. I’ll say a few words about this.
I think your first two premises are wrong. It goes without saying the highlanders are proud people and so on but fighting is not their only mission. They are talented people. They have poets and writers, engineers and scientists as well as decent warriors. The history of the Soviet Union – the country we have all come from – abound in examples of this kind. This is the first point. For example, it has always been common knowledge that people from the Caucasus are very good builders. I worked in construction teams and I know how these teams from the Caucasus moonlighted as contract labourers all over the country. So, the potential is very big.
I also don’t agree with what you said about waiting on tourists because this is a very important economic sector in many countries. And when people realise that their future prosperity may depend on it, their attitude changes very quickly. And they realise that this is not “service” but a job, a respectable and prestigious job that demands special training and qualifications.
And here’s the other side of the coin. If you take a fresh look, the reluctance or inability to work well is rooted not in mentality but in poor education and a low cultural level. Perhaps I shouldn’t say this but I’ll still say what I think. If tourists start coming here, and the local service personnel will pinch women’s behinds, this is something that far from all tourists will enjoy and so holidaymakers will not want to come here. Let me repeat that this could only happen because of a low cultural level and poor training.
But if real investors come here (and work with their local colleagues), they will be interested in keeping the flow of tourists high. They will work hard with the personnel and set up special training courses. They will send their personnel for training to other Russian regions where the level of service is very good, believe me, and often even better than in Europe. They will also send personnel for practical training abroad. They will invite qualified foreign managers, and there’s nothing wrong with this, who will make sure that service is on a high level. And why should we give up our competitive advantages, as I’ve already said, in the regions that have been given to us by nature and by God? Why should we do this? Why should we give them up?
Personally, I learned Alpine skiing in Cheget. We could turn the area into an attractive tourist destination if we transform it accordingly, creating a strong industrial base. It could draw tourists from Russia and from around the world. We’re already negotiating the issue with French investors. Clearly, we need to address the problem of security here. But I assume security will become easier to maintain when more businesses are established here and local businesspeople will make every effort to protect their operations by taking appropriate measures both independently and in conjunction with law enforcement agencies.
Now let’s take a look at other economic sectors. Tourism is a highly important industry and it may prove instrumental to the Caucasus region. But other industries must not be ignored, such as agriculture and processing, for example. We’re currently running several processing-related projects. Incidentally, all the republics of the North Caucasus perform well in agriculture. Nearly all of them. If my memory serves me right, there’s been an 80% growth in meat husbandry, 20-30% in dairy products, and 12% in sugar. That’s the federal district’s average.
During our conversation earlier today, the governor said a record-high crop of cereals was expected in the Stavropol Region this year. I hope they will, indeed, harvest rich crops there. We’re now sending federal treasury funds to help them with the processing. We allocated a total 1.5 billion roubles during the two previous years. This year, as much as 6.2 billion roubles has been earmarked for the support of agriculture alone, and 5.2 billion has already been disbursed. But, of course, we’ll work to advance other sectors, including science and education.
Alexei Vereshchagin: Can I ask you a question? Did you really learn to ski at Cheget?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, I did.
Alexei Vereshchagin: You should have started your training at Azau instead because Cheget has no trails for beginners.
Vladimir Putin: I realised this only after I got there. The Defence Ministry had (and, probably, still has) a base there, and it was at that base that I made my first steps as a skier.
Alexei Vereshchagin: I see. You are a brave man.
Remark: May I add something on the development of tourism? I believe that tourism will be developing in earnest here and that we’ll eventually get our very own resorts just like in Switzerland or at least in Austria, with ski circus trails and all the rest.
Vladimir Putin: You don’t think Austria is as good as Switzerland?
Answer: I believe the Caucasus will be the best.
Vladimir Putin: That’s right.
Remark: But my question is about something else. As far as I understand, if we want to attract investors, we should create the right conditions for them, including infrastructure. And that’s where the problem of human resources comes in. I suggest we send young people from the North Caucasus to train for work in the hospitality industry abroad so that when investors come along, our qualified personnel will be there to work with them. I think this would be an additional incentive for investment. And my second question is this: Aren’t you afraid that the attraction of heavy investment in the region…
Vladimir Putin: We are in the Caucasus, aren’t we? Here, people are fearless…
Remark: That’s right. But what if we get a situation that major investment generates mammoth corporations that will stifle our small business? Our cafes, ski rentals and self-taught guides depend on tourism for their living. If huge corporations appear, these people will be forced out.
Vladimir Putin: I understand. The first part of your question concerns proactive personnel training. As a rule, personnel are trained for concrete projects. It isn’t worth it to train people without a specific objective and then have to find employment for them. Nevertheless, the general level of skills should be raised. This requires advanced planning. But look: we are preparing for the 2014 Olympics. There is a school of tourism and other business management in Sochi, which trains personnel for the hospitality industry. Many volunteers will be involved in the training. Established travel agencies will certainly participate because they know how much personnel training matters – it’s impossible to develop tourist businesses without well-trained personnel, or clients will not go to their resorts. Do you know why big hotel chains like Holiday Inn and other chains exist? Because people know that they will find the same level of service at their hotels in Moscow, New York, Beijing, Paris and anywhere else in the world. That’s the way to organise the work in other areas of the tourism industry, and in fact that’s how it is done.
As for small businesses, they are well developed in the Caucasus and have good traditions. I don’t think they will go belly-up – excuse my slang – with the appearance of major players. I believe the opposite is true but they will need to be upgraded. Anyway, small restaurants serving local specialties, and other small-scale services make a resort even more attractive. Big chains will not be able to fill that niche – such things are for small and medium-sized businesses, which will spring up on the fringes of these mammoths. Big investors are sure to promote them provided these small businesses improve the products and services they offer, be it food or …
Remark: …skiing caps.
Vladimir Putin: That’s right, caps, souvenirs, local specialties – whatever you like. Tourists buy such things up. The businesses will thrive if they improve the quality. Isn’t that good?
Magomed Magomedomarov: Mr Putin, I would like to comment briefly on what my colleagues from the Stavropol Territory said. My name is Magomed Magomedomarov. I am from Dagestan. I want to add to what Alexei Vereshchagin said earlier. What is it all about? Certainly it does not mean that the tourism industry should not be developed here because it implies danger. I would offer a different order of priorities: large investment in the tourism industry is planned while, let say, the Botlikh District has a business it is modernising – I mean local meatpackers. They cater for local farmers, who supply a large amount of meat to the local market and outside the district. There’s also…
Vladimir Putin: Seven ambitious agricultural projects are entitled to federal support.
Magomed Magomedomarov: Take the carpet-makers in the Karata District. Their tapestries are true works of art, to say nothing of the famous Levashi cabbage growers. All these are long-established businesses, which deserve support. There will be no end of problems if all funds are channelled into tourism at those businesses’ expense.
Vladimir Putin: You are right.
Magomed Magomedomarov: Now, take the famous Lak footwear. The Lak people have made it for a long time now. The large batches of their footware you get in Moscow are sold with forged labels though regular federal support would help Lak shoemakers to start their own brand. The business has been running in families for centuries. Laks also excel in dentistry. Their children are outstanding dentists even when they enter medical schools. They have a lot of patients when they go to the north of Russia, with its shortage of dentists. Many people go to Dagestan to see local dentists because they charge less. Do you see my point? Tourism is good but we have our established businesses that deserve to be modernised, too. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: That’s just what I said. We are allocating 6.2 billion roubles for agriculture in the North Caucasus. That’s quite a sum, especially compared to our grants to other regions. We have given food processors 1.5 billion this year alone.
However, I would like to draw your attention to another factor – the local specialties you mentioned. We make sizeable allocations to the republics of the North Caucasus to maintain their fiscal capacity. Priorities largely depend on local authorities because in Moscow we don’t know local needs – it’s up to the republics’ leaders.
Magomed Magomedomarov: But you know them now that I have told you.
Vladimir Putin: All right. I’ll go to Dagestan when I get a toothache and try to save a bit.
Oksana Tebekhova: My name is Oksana Tebekhova and I am from the Stavropol Territory. I would like to ask you a question about education. Do you think it’s possible to raise the prestige of education received in the Caucasus? At present, our school and university graduates are employed very reluctantly even in the Caucasus, to say nothing of other parts of Russia. Naturally, young people make it a point to get an education elsewhere and start a career. Does it follow then that all non-profit colleges and universities should be closed?
Vladimir Putin: We have just talked about it. The standard of education must certainly be raised. The Ministry of Education and Science is largely responsible for it. We have gathered here to discuss this matter, among others. Our agenda revolves around youth policy and everything connected with it. Education is a top priority in this field. I said today what the presidential envoy and the region’s governor had told me: there are 170,000 undergraduates now, compared to 34,000 in the Soviet years. That’s not real education, that’s clear. There are more than 70 university affiliates that hardly deserve the name of school. Mr Khloponin says they have nothing but a chair, a typewriter and a computer. Something should be done about that.
It is also necessary to improve the schools that work normally. As I have also said, we are establishing a federal university in Stavropol on the basis of a local university. Five billion roubles will be allocated for it within two or three years to purchase equipment, introduce innovation curricula, and so on. We should also do something about secondary schools. I am sure you have heard about the school development programme I advanced. We allocate 60 billion roubles a year for the upkeep and repairs of school buildings. Local budgets will save the money, and regional and municipal authorities can spend it to increase teachers’ salaries. So I think we’ll resolve the problem if we pool our efforts. But this is an acute problem here in the Caucasus. Education must improve in the North Caucasus, and its prestige should be enhanced. This is a perfectly attainable goal. We’ll talk it over now and make a relevant decision.
Oksana Tebekhova: Thank you.
Question: My question also concerns education. I am from North Ossetia-Alania. I received a university degree quite recently. Now, I am job hunting, and it’s very hard because wherever I come, the managers want to take on a person with work experience. But what kind of experience can I have? I studied full-time for five years, and had no opportunity to work in my profession.
Vladimir Putin: That’s the problem of our present-day education. It should cater for the labour market – local, regional or possibly national, but mainly to the local and regional ones. This requires teamwork from the business community, industry and education. Our top corporations and successful companies, including medium-sized ones, should be in close contact with universities and secondary schools to arrange students’ practical experience and to implement financial support programmes for students. That is the way to interest businesses in employing these students after graduation. We are addressing the problem. If your university is doing nothing about it, just as many others, you are really in a difficult situation, I can see that.
Remark: Something is being done but it’s a drop in the ocean. We never had practical work in the five years of study, with the exception of two months’ practice last year – we worked at a school, teaching two languages in turn. I don’t think it was worthwhile.
Vladimir Putin: That’s not enough.
Remark: It definitely isn’t.
Vladimir Putin: What’s your profession?
Answer: I’m a language teacher, trained to teach two foreign languages.
Vladimir Putin: That’s excellent! So you have employment problems?
Answer: Not exactly. It’s the salary. When I worked at a school…
Vladimir Putin: So it’s easy to find a job but the salary is not good enough?
Answer: That’s right.
Vladimir Putin: I have just replied to another girl’s question, so you know about our programme. I’ll ask the head of your republic now what he intends to do by September 1 [the start of the academic year]. Our top priority in improving teachers’ incomes is to increase their salaries to the region’s average. Deadlines vary from region to region but, anyway, the pay raise must not take years. Many regions are doing it already, and will have regular raises later, so I hope things will improve.
Remark: Average salaries have already been increased in North Ossetia.
Vladimir Putin: I hope they’ll do it in North Ossetia.
Answer: They have done it.
Timur Sageyev: Good afternoon, Mr Putin. My name is Timur. I am the coordinator of United Russia’s Young Guard for the North Caucasus Federal District. I would like to ask you a question about politics. I have no right not to ask it – my comrades will never forgive me if I skip it. The Young Guard was the first youth organisation to join the Russian Popular Front, and that is what my question is about.
We began collecting proposals for the Popular Front programme all over the federal district, and got about 300,000 proposals within a month. Half of them concerned youth affairs. Many were about education, healthcare, leisure and sport. However, of special importance to the Young Guard as a political organisation is the large number of proposals concerning state politics – particularly young people’s opportunities to implement their constitutional rights, including the right to elect and be elected. The Young Guard made nominations for the primaries in all regions of the North Caucasus Federal District. Several regions had regional elections recently, and now national elections are approaching. We are monitoring the situation. Young people have been very active and there are community leaders among them. However, we fully realise that they haven’t even the slightest opportunity to represent the North Caucasus youth in the supreme federal legislature. It is highly unlikely that we will see a representative of the youth of the entire North Caucasus in the federal parliament.
I support the theory about which Mr Khloponin often speaks at all kinds of meetings: young people’s desire to join public service is somewhat illogical because public servants have modest salaries while bearing huge responsibilities, so he doesn’t see just why they are so anxious to get there. Something different matters to us, however. The national and regional authorities’ openness is of critical importance, especially in the Caucasus. We want to make at least this essential point understood, since we have this opportunity.
I said all this by way of information. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude for this meeting because it really matters to us to see that you are lending us an attentive ear, and to feel that you want to be in contact with us. We can feel it. Mr Khloponin is working very hard. Everyone in the Caucasus knows that he is always travelling around the district. We are aware of his attention to us, and we need it. Now, we are aware of your attention. It is also important to us, and we are sincerely grateful for it. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Your name is Timur, right?
Timur Sageyev: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: Timur, I would like to begin with young people in the government bodies. You might be surprised to hear that people under 30 make up almost 30% – 29%, to be precise – of public servants at every level in the Russian Federation. As for people under 35 years of age, their share is even greater, approaching 39%. Understand?
Timur Sageyev: How about the Caucasus?
Vladimir Putin: I am not sure. I am citing national average figures, and I don’t remember about the Caucasus. I am not even sure that there are such statistics at all. I’ll look it up. If no such figures are available, the gap should be filled, right?
I think that young people are not after fat salaries but after self-fulfilment. I am sure that during the Mashuk youth forum, the issues you discussed were not money and business but what might be generally described as politics and ideology – what our life should be, how to build the house we all share, and so on. That’s young people’s concern because they have their entire lives ahead of them, they will get married, have children and bring them up. Demographic experts call it the “planning time-frame”. People are thinking, and their planning time-frame depends on the situation in this country. That is why young people want to become public servants – they want to improve things. We will encourage them in every possible way, because when young people join government bodies, they come with vision and good ideas.
You said that we will hardly ever see representatives of the Caucasus youth in federal bodies, the State Duma, for example. Why not? For instance, when I advanced the idea of the Russian Popular Front, I proceeded from the assumption that people from various social and professional groups, particularly youth public organisations, will use United Russia’s channels and the Popular Front platform to nominate their significant representatives with promising ideas for ruling bodies of various levels, including the federal. In this case, it primarily applies to the State Duma elections. I hope the mechanism will remain active but we should first tackle this particular task. I am glad that you told me about it. I will meet with the leaders of all North Caucasus republics now. I will certainly discuss the matter with them and ask them to look closely at the candidates nominated for the State Duma by the Popular Front.
Timur Sageyev: It’s a very interesting platform, with unique work patterns, and it has a chance to earn deserved prestige.
Vladimir Putin: Here in Stavropol 30% of nominees come from the Popular Front. I think it’s the same in the North Caucasus and in other parts of Russia. Young people must have their guaranteed share, and I will talk about it with my colleagues now.
Remark: Mr Putin, I am a Popular Front candidate, one of those 30%, and I have already come through State Duma primaries. Regional legislature primaries are starting on August 11. It really does happen sometimes…
Vladimir Putin: Sorry to interrupt. The matter concerns not only the State Duma but also regional and municipal bodies.
Remark: We have a reform team in the Stavropol Territory. These are young people who are eager to work. We don’t care for the State Duma so much as for the regional legislature because we think we can do more good at the regional level.
Vladimir Putin: Of course, you are aware of local problems.
Question: The trouble is that it is occasionally very hard for us to compete with he heavyweight politicians even in the Popular Front. Do you think young people should be represented at the State Duma and regional legislatures? How should this representation be organised? What if you give us the reins of government or at least a small share of seats and offices, particularly in the regional bodies? After all, young people must be involved – we have many initiatives but some of them are never implemented because we have no representation.
Vladimir Putin: I have already spoken about ceding a part of seats and offices. People under 30 account for almost 30% of the members of our ruling bodies, and people under 35 make 39%, almost 40%. That’s a very high figure. As for greater representation of the youth in ruling bodies, I repeat: that’s what the Popular Front is about. We have agreed with regional United Russia leaders to reserve at least 30% of nominations for Popular Front candidates, including representatives of youth organisations. So I reiterate: I will not merely support this but I will insist on it as I work with my colleagues. You have a point, however: there are people who have worked in representative bodies for a very long time. They are experienced people, and we should not get rid of them but we should see where else their knowledge and experience could be used. This is not to say that we should remove people from the lists, kicking them out onto the street, especially if there is someone who has proved their worth, if they have a good track record… Plus, some of the old-timers should stay, if only to ensure continuity. Legislatures must include people who have a deep understanding of the problems on the agenda and who can suggest workable solutions. One could propose, for example, that all local farmers switch to grains as their main crop. But will we be able to remove the Caucasus Mountains, to just tear them from the ground and move them elsewhere, and then plant wheat fields in the vacated area? Clearly, any suggestion of the kind is out of touch with reality. We need people who can offer technically feasible ideas, people who understand local specifics. Rest assured that we’ll support such individuals in their bid to get involved in government.
Remark: Thanks.
Islam Beltiyev: I’m from the Chechen Republic. I’d like to express my thanks to you for your support of the republic’s head, Ramzan Kadyrov, and for its people.
Vladimir Putin: I’ll tell him that you heap praise on him.
Islam Beltiyev: Believe me, your support can be felt in every household, in every city, town and village. Thanks to the efforts that you launched in 1999 in cooperation with the previous Chechen leader, Akhmad Kadyrov, peace, prosperity and order have come to our land. Thank you very much indeed for this. And here’s my question…
Vladimir Putin: You’ve done a great job restoring the capital, Grozny. No one expected it would turn out so well. Few people in this country and beyond believed that it could be restored from ruins. But you’ve done it. Good work.
Islam Beltiyev: Thank you. So my question is: What can be done to eradicate corruption in Russia?
Vladimir Putin: You couldn’t think of any other question to ask?
Islam Beltiyev: The current Chechen leader is a good role model. He does all he can to root out this vice in our republic.
Vladimir Putin: This is, undoubtedly, a big issue. Not just for the North Caucasus, but for the country as a whole. It’s a real challenge for us all. But this negative phenomenon isn’t specific to Russia. In almost all emerging market economies, where there are lots of loopholes in legislation and a lack of proper regulations, corruption is rampant. I repeat, almost all emerging market economies suffer from corruption, and Russia is no exception here, unfortunately. We should tackle this problem with wide-ranging efforts. First and foremost, we should create a climate of zero tolerance for this kind of activity in our society. Secondly, we should raise the level of education and culture. Thirdly, we should improve our people’s living standards. We should make sure that people working in law-enforcement, in schools and in hospitals are paid reasonable wages so that they won’t have to supplement their meagre pay by taking bribes, and so on and so forth. And we should make efforts in this regard in the field of law enforcement. We should toughen punishment for corruption-related offences. As with any other type of crime, we should ensure that no single corruption crime remains unpunished. If we cooperate and make consistent efforts in all these areas, we will be able to achieve the desired result. I’m absolutely sure of it. As you know, Dmitry Medvedev pays a lot of attention to it and rightfully criticises us all the time because the decrease in the level of corruption is not meeting our targets. We could brush this problem under the carpet, but we prefer to talk about it openly. We talk about corruption and we make efforts to eradicate it. He that bestirs his feet completes his journey. We’ll continue with this work in all these areas and it will bear fruit eventually. Of course, this problem is related to a general level of culture as well as morals. We have a lot of problems, but they aren’t insurmountable. The main thing is that we realise that it’s a shameful practice and that it poses a threat to our society. This awareness is the primary prerequisite for overcoming the vice. It’s still there at the moment, unfortunately. But we’ll work to get rid of it.
Aishat Akhmedova: To continue on this theme, I would like to add a comment. My name is Aishat Akhmedova, from the Republic of Dagestan. While we were speaking on the subject of corruption, I immediately remembered a video I watched a while ago. It featured a Ukrainian official who said: We have not put a single Ukrainian official in jail in five years, because there is no corruption in Ukraine. You're talking about how we are fighting corruption, but then why do we hear nothing about any court trials?
Vladimir Putin: But we do.
Aishat Akhmedova: I will not speak about the regions…
Vladimir Putin: We do, we do hear about them. I'm afraid I might make an error if I try to give exact statistics, but there are plenty of instances of corruption that are pursued legally, and cases in which courts have passed sentences. I hesitate to name an incorrect figure, but they are measured in the tens. There are many of them.
Aishat Akhmedova: In the tens?
Vladimir Putin: In the tens and hundreds, if we consider the whole country.
Remark: Mr Putin, to pursue the subject further: with work actually being done and with criminal cases on the record, perhaps there should be more publicity in order to give these cases a broader resonance? Would it make some sense to launch a high-profile campaign…
Vladimir Putin: It would be better without any campaign, without any campaigning, but by working persistently and patiently. That's how we will do it.
Remark: Mr Putin, I believe that one of the weapons in this fight should be the mass media. I live in a small town called Blagodarny, with a population of 20,000.
Vladimir Putin: And we'll give you a grant, too.
Remark: I would like to say that our local newspaper, which is the only one in our district, has not printed a single critical comment about the authorities for 10 years … It is like a large greeting card.
Vladimir Putin: You don’t say.
Remark: Congratulations, we are doing great…
Vladimir Putin: I do not read much, but when I do I see my name, and wherever I see it I find that someone is always attacking me.
Remark: You see, and it's very difficult for us to struggle against this. That is to say, the media does not correspond with reality and needs to be completely restructured…
Vladimir Putin: Where is this happening?
Reply: In Blagodarny, but the same is happening in many small towns. I think perhaps we should always send an electronic copy so that people know that it reaches at least the regional administration, or some higher level, and is being monitored…
Vladimir Putin: Is this some district newspaper?
Reply: Yes, it’s a district paper, but effectively it is a greeting card, a large greeting card. Everything is fantastic: medals, medalists and all the rest.
Vladimir Putin: Produce your own newspaper.
Reply: We want to produce our own, but we run into difficulties with official media outlets.
Vladimir Putin: But why official? Make it non-official.
Reply: We are not allowed to register as a mass media outlet in the town, we can only produce it in the form of a pamphlet -- and, please.
Remark: Join the Popular Front.
Vladimir Putin: Right, come on now, how could they refuse you?
Reply: This is how things stand. Every time we have to send a copy to the local authorities in the Stavropol Territory for them to sign off on it. There are awful difficulties, and if you want to write something … I asked them once, “Could I bring you a critical article?” They replied, “Of course not, no, never!”
Vladimir Putin: Let me speak with your regional governor. He will help you. Seriously, he will.
Reply: In other words, we should have more opportunities to express ourselves. Of course, we do this on the internet, but we are the only ones who see this, only young people, among themselves, in their groups, and so on. The older generation, and town residents in particular, do not see this, I am sure.
Vladimir Putin: You know I thought it was fairly simple to register a mass media outlet in our country.
Reply: It is simple on the internet.
Remark: Completely easy. I went through this procedure and had no problems.
Vladimir Putin: You are right, and for this reason, I would like to continue: if you see any insurmountable obstacles in the legislation, let's change them. And if it's simply a matter of needing more drive and pressure, then show it and have your media registered.
Reply: Drive and pressure is no problem.
Vladimir Putin: Then register it.
Reply: We tried to register it.
Vladimir Putin: We will help you. There is another issue that comes up here: how to support this paper or other media outlet. In all seriousness: simply let us support it, let us help by giving you a start-up grant. Let's do this.
Reply: Yes, we'd like at least to be able to criticise the local authorities, and so forth.
Vladimir Putin: There's no need to engage in criticism for its own sake.
Reply: Not for the sake of criticism, but for the sake of truth.
Vladimir Putin: Information should be objective and impartial so that the reader, viewer or listener will receive objective and timely information. I think this is one of the main roles of the media. If you have this greeting card there, then publish your own paper. I am sure they will fly off the stands. In this case it will be even quite competitive economically. But let us initially support you. Agreed?
Reply: Agreed.
Vladimir Putin: Tell Mr. Khloponin that we will do this.
Razhap Musaev: Razhap Musaev, from Grozny. While on this subject, I would first like to thank you for supporting such an initiative as the establishment within the Russian government of a new structure to deal with inter-ethnic issues. This was at a recent meeting with the heads of Russian faiths, where leaders of cultural and national autonomies were also in attendance. On behalf of all the young people of the Caucasus, and on behalf of all the participants in Mashuk, I would like to thank you for that, because this issue is long overdue and the problem exists. Moving to the issue at hand, I would like to note that most of the work within this structure should be conducted specifically through new media: through social networking sites, blogs and the internet, because this ship is sailing in precisely that direction. While before, in the 1990s and early 2000s, we watched extremists from southern Russia trying to separate the Caucasus from Russia with various radical movements (we solved this problem with your direct assistance), today we are seeing attempts to plant these very ideas in the minds of Russian young people: that the Caucasus is superfluous for Russia, that it should be separated, and we will live happily…
My point is this. Every day, we – I am a blogger myself as well – are fighting on the internet to reconcile all the hostile sides in order to focus less attention on this issue. If suddenly, with the creation of a new structure, there will be some kind of public council, I would like to offer our immediate help. We are prepared to work every day and night to contribute to solving the problem of inter-ethnic hostility, to rid the youth of this extremism and instead work for inter-ethnic harmony and accord.
Vladimir Putin: Good. Thank you. But tackle other problems at night too, including those of a demographic nature.
Anzor Erkenov: Anzor Erkenov, from Karachai-Circassia. I would like to speak about a more pressing issue for the youth in the Caucasus than corruption in executive bodies: this is the lack of infrastructure. Young people in the Caucasus have no place to spend their free time. There are traditional sports, of course, such as wrestling. And the positive experience of United Russia building physical fitness and health centres.
Vladimir Putin: But there are few of them.
Anzor Erkenov: Yes. Well, there are enough.
Vladimir Putin: No, there are too few, truly. In large population centres we sometimes see this, but in smaller towns or communities there is more often nowhere to go. And this is not just a problem in the North Caucasus. We see the same in Central Russia, Siberia and the Far East. Across the entire country.
Anzor Erkenov: Sports are not the only pastime and we would like to… What do you think of this project… During previous elections, United Russia built fitness and health centres. During the upcoming elections, what if you built youth community centres – a place where young people could meet and socialise.
Vladimir Putin: That's a good idea. This is already being done in some regions. It could also be a cultural centre, an educational centre and perhaps in part even a religious centre, to say nothing of sports. That's a good idea. Fyodor Bondarchuk is now organising a network of cinemas across the country. That's a good project too, we have decided to support him and are even providing him with some resources to start out. Incidentally, these multimedia centres will be in high demand, and can even show, say, 3D films produced in Russia. These ideas exist and we will support them. It would be good if you could enlist regional authorities in this effort, while for my part I will do my best to help you. You see, this is also a priority. Among the regions that we subsidise, the North Caucasus stands out, and we know this. We must set our priorities properly, and pinpoint the target areas. Of course, there are many problems – housing, road construction, this, that and the other. But this area is of key importance. We will talk more about this, and of course we will do what is necessary.
Anzor Erkenov: Thank you. We look to your support.
Ramzan Ugurchiev: My name is Ramzan, from the Republic of Ingushetia. The thing is, the issue of infrastructure runs deeper than it seems at first glance. Considering that the North Caucasus outnumbers other federal districts in the Russian Federation in the youth population (in Ingushetia, people from 14 to 35 years old make up 48% of the population, in Dagestan, more than half, and in the Chechen Republic, about half), the time has come when young people are no longer the minority, but account for half or a very considerable proportion of the population. Correspondingly, the problems and interests of young people are those of a greater majority of people. Moreover, young people are not prepared to, and do not want to keep silent, they are more competent and more competitive than in the past. You already talked about how there was such a difficult period after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ideologically, we have lost a good deal in this decade. Say what you will, this ideology was strong in the Soviet Union, and we have lost ten years in this respect. Correspondingly, solving the problem of infrastructure could partly solve the issue of ideology if we could set up a network of republican, civilian, political centres and clubs, and a support network for youth centres that's been mentioned. Correspondingly, all this could be if we had a foundation in the form of federal targeted programmes for the youth in the North Caucasus. We need all this because if there is a federal targeted programme, the highly subsidised regions in the North Caucasus Federal District, especially Ingushetia, would have more reason to formulate their own republican targeted programmes for young people in Ingushetia, Chechnya, etc. The Finance Ministry is always telling us: this or that does not exist at the federal level. So my question to you is as follows: Do you think a federal targeted programme for young people in the North Caucasus Federal District is worth developing? I understand …
Vladimir Putin: Alexander(To Alexander Khloponin), do we have a federal targeted programme for the North Caucasus development?
Alexander Khloponin: We have a state programme approved by the government, which you signed. It includes a section on youth policy.
Vladimir Putin: Right. Maybe we should develop that section into a project with an appropriate budget?
Ramzan Ugurchiev: It’s possible. But the problem is, I have studied that state programme, Development of the North Caucasus Federal District until 2025; it’s all very good, but cannot be used as a basis for regional targeted programmes focused on infrastructure development. We cannot draft a regional programme on the basis of a state programme until 2025. A federal targeted programme is what we need, and it’s different.
Vladimir Putin: Let’s think about it.
Ramzan Ugurchiev: I know it’s not a simple issue. It is rather complex in fact and includes youth issues such as leisure.
Vladimir Putin: I agree. This is a very sensitive issue in the North Caucasus. You are right to focus on it because it is certainly one of the greatest priorities. Considering how important it is, we must create appropriate tools to be able to meet this challenge, as they like to say now. Let’s think about it. It should be either a separate targeted programme or a distinct part of the state programme. I agree. This problem indeed calls for a separate programme. We’ll have to think how to do it and how to ensure that its goals are met.
Ramzan Ugurchiev: Thank you. I would like to add that people in the North Caucasus usually back the initiatives and proposals that come from the federal government and you personally. Why? Because young men…
Vladimir Putin: They all do martial arts. And me too.
Ramzan Ugurchiev: They fight, but they also have to fight stereotypes. The older generation still shares the Soviet stereotypes: let the kids play while the adults do all the work.
Vladimir Putin: This is in fact the eternal conflict between generations.
Ramzan Ugurchiev: Thank you.
Alexei Kopytko: I am Alexei Kopytko from the Stavropol Territory. Mr Putin, about young people, I have to say this: the eastern parts of the Stavropol territory… I come from this region and I have studied this problem. We are trying to reach out to young people there, to find ethnic leaders who could organise others.
We aim to test this tactic in the North Caucasus too – to direct the energy they pour into confrontation toward something more constructive, to teach these leaders to organise their supporters for constructive efforts, as there is so much they can do. If young people become interested, they will be able to do that. We have been working with teachers, discussing important points. The biggest problem is that it takes too much time to study the situation, meet with people and win their trust. We need some government support – some official to introduce us and explain who we are and what we do.
Vladimir Putin: Timur here said he represents the Young Guard movement. There are other youth groups – you should try to act through them. A representative of an organisation is seen very differently from an individual and commands more influence immediately. This is where you should look. All I have to say is that first, I agree with you, and second, I will provide any support I can wherever possible.
Nikolai Mokrousov: I am Nikolai Mokrousov from the Terek Cossack Host. As we know from Russian history, the Cossacks have always protected Russia’s border and gave Russia a foothold in the Caucasus. The Cossack ideas are very popular today. Young Cossacks become more interested and active, they eagerly join Cossack youth organisations. How do you see the Cossack movement development in this region?
Vladimir Putin: Well, you have just referred to the history of Cossacks. They are a very special group, like a caste. Some even identified themselves ethnically as “Cossack” rather than “Russian” during the census, which surprised me. It’s true. Not many of them, but there were some.
The Cossacks have certainly played an important role in Russia’s history, mostly as border guards. They were people whose love of their country was inherent from the cradle. But I could say as much about other ethnic groups. There are some curious facts. When Bashkortostan acceded to Russia – which it did voluntarily – one of the conditions Russia advanced and Bashkortostan accepted was to assume the responsibility for the protection of Russia’s external border. They have always been very reliable. Moreover, during the French invasion of 1812, Bashkortostan recruited nearly all of its male population aged 18 and higher. Sorry for the off-topic contribution. But it shows how important Russia’s ethnic diversity is.
As for the Cossacks, let me repeat that the Cossack culture based on their love of their country is invaluable. We have always supported and will continue supporting their unique culture and Cossack organisations. You know that there is a presidential council and federal laws covering this.
I believe that protecting the borders is no longer the Cossacks’ key responsibility. There are trained professionals responsible for that now. But they have an important educational role, that of preserving their cultural heritage and promoting this kind of attitude toward their country to other population groups and other regions.
The Cossack culture is interesting and unique. Let me repeat – we have developed a legal framework to support the Cossacks. They have done a lot and have seen a great deal of suffering, especially in the early Soviet years when they were seen as enemies and they carried that stigma for years. We all know how it was and I would rather not talk about it now. There are many groups in the Caucasus that have suffered in some way during the Soviet era and had to go through a period of rehabilitation later. In this sense, the Cossacks are not much different from other people living in the Caucasus. They have suffered too. But it is an important part of our culture, the Russian culture, which should certainly be supported by the government.
Pyotr Spirin: My name is Spirin, and I'm chairman of the Tertsy Cossack youth organisation. I would like to say a few words about the specifics of public policy with respect to the Cossacks, the Terek Cossacks, here in the North Caucasus. But first I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alexander Khloponin for...
Vladimir Putin: For our happy childhood.
Pyotr Spirin: Not exactly – for finding time to, among other things, be involved in Cossack issues despite the serious work load related resolving a lot of socio-economic development issues in the North Caucasus. So, regarding the specifics, I would like to note that in some political circles of the ethnic territories in the North Caucasus Federal District, there is a perception that government policy towards the Russian Cossacks – the implementation of public policy – is transient and inconsistent; in other words, in principle, it is possible to disregard the part of the regulatory framework that is created at the federal level, as well as public policy concept adopted in 2008 in the Russian Federation concerning the Russian Cossacks. Accordingly, in most of the republics, there is no established legal framework and the Cossacks are not officially registered as an organisation.
There are, of course, working groups from the Presidential Council for the Cossacks. These working groups work in an interesting manner, in the sense that some of them are not doing anything at all, and those who hold their meetings take some purely declarative decisions; in other words, they have virtually no impact on the situation.
Vladimir Putin: Of course, we must strengthen the regulatory framework. We are currently working on a development strategy for the Cossacks until 2025 – this strategy will reflect everything. This will be an additional step to strengthen the regulatory framework.
When I talked of the Cossacks' distinctive culture, and the need for it be preserved and developed... The Cossacks themselves are already doing much. Not only in terms of, say, maintaining order and law enforcement cooperation with the authorities, with the Interior Ministry – much is being done to educate the younger generation. Take the cadet schools – I've been to many of them and seen how it's done – this is certainly an example of what could be done through the Cossacks in the educational sphere. Of course, this will be supported; we are providing financial, organisational and administrative assistance and will continue to do so. Do you think something could be added? Tell me what, then.
Pyotr Spirin: I would like to note that today, the Terek military unit is the only one without its own Cossack cadet corps. While in the Kuban and the Don – our neighbours will soon have dozens of these cadet corps units. It would be a serious help in the education of our youth.
Vladimir Putin: Alright. I agree. So let's see. Mr Khloponin, have a look. This is a good idea, a good proposal, and the main thing is that the Cossacks are doing this conscientiously and at a high standard.
Sado Meserbiyev: Mr Putin, my name is Sado, of the Ramzan patriotic club in the Chechen Republic. I would like to raise a sensitive issue – the issue of extremism among young people, namely the gangs that are trying to lead our young people astray. I am working with Eskerhan of the Putin patriotic club in various districts of the Chechen Republic and we explain to the young people, and bring in theologians who explain, how their actions go against religion – the bandits and criminals who distort true Islam. We perform this work, and we have support – the head of the republic actively encourages the public and young people to work on this issue. Will there be any motivation or help for other regions? Will regional leaders be there to support the healthy forces of society, to develop them, to fight this evil?
Vladimir Putin: I think this is one of the main tasks for leaders in the North Caucasus region. Some do it better than others, but it certainly is a priority issue on which everyone should work. As for those people who call themselves irreconcilable fighters for some unknown ideals, there are many factors involved, unfortunately. We must admit that apart from their brainwashing and so on, we ourselves are feeding them, giving them ground for criticism – the very same corruption that we talked about, the same disorder, unemployment. You realise, of course, that the people who brainwash the young people, they are abusing their position, when they say: look, there is something they lack, there is something they ignore, and we will do better... They will not do anything better, they will only get things worse, they engage in brainwashing, and as they say, pull the wool over people's eyes. As a rule, these leaders are simply making money – it is a business for them. But in order to pull the rug out from under them, we need to eradicate the evil that we talked about – that’s the first thing. Secondly, you need to resolve the issues that have been raised here, too – sport should be developed, ideological work needs to be stepped up, and we need to provide recreational activities for youth. As you know, this is painstaking and multi-faceted work. And, most importantly, we need to promote economic development and job creation, so that people can get a quality education.
But those who do not want to go this route, do not want to work together to address these issues and want to make easy money and do not want to think about anything... Well, what can you do then? The state should respond to this, and respond harshly, especially to people with blood on their hands. It is impossible to do otherwise, especially in the Caucasus.
Elvira Gurieva: Mr Putin.
Vladimir Putin: Folks, I have to finish, because I need to go already. Let the young woman speak... You can tell how much folks in the Caucasus respect women.
Elvira Gurieva: My name is Elvira and I'm from the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. Discussion of youth policy is in full swing, strategies for youth policy are being developed and ways to bring about the spiritual and moral revival of youth are being sought. But I think that along with the development of social activity, we do not have enough cultural expression amongst the youth. Maybe we should hold a festival of inter-ethnic arts, where each region will present their traditions, customs, and we will get acquainted with each other? What do you think? And the second question I have is this – we have been talking about serious issues, corruption, tourism, and I have a personal question. You often come to the Caucasus. What do you feel when you're here? When you're standing on a mountain top, what feelings do you have? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: You know, I first reached the summit of Cheget when I was first learning to ski, and indeed it was an unusual feeling. I've never experienced anything like it before in my life. I was born in Leningrad, I lived in this big city, in a concrete jungle. I love my city, it's my little homeland, I adore it. But when I came to the mountains, this opened an entirely new chapter in my life. I fell in love. I came here again and continued to try to ski, not only because I enjoy the process, because it's interesting, but also because the mountains are very beautiful. The sky is unusual, such a blue sky I've never seen. I’ve simply never seen such a blue sky. Your suggestion on holding a youth festival... Let's work on it together as part of the preparations for next year, alright? As for returning to the mountains, I really want to say that I have never seen such a blue sky under which live such wonderful people, like the ones you've introduced me to today. Folks, I really need to go. Thank you.
