• Events
• Point of View
• Multimedia

• Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
• Photo Gallery

• Working Day
• Visits within Russia

• International Visits
• Press Conferences

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin took questions from the media after his televised Q&A session“A Conversation with Vladimir Putin Continued”

print

Events / Photos

Transcript of the conversation:

Question: Mr Putin, how do you relax after such marathons? Do you have any special relaxation techniques?

Vladimir Putin: I do not get that stressed, so I don't need to do anything special to relax. This is part of my work, and it is a very useful part. Of course, it requires greater concentration, and you need to put extra time into the preparation. But in fact the preparation does not take that long, because my colleagues and I work hard throughout the year, dealing with all the problems mentioned today.

This time, as you may have noticed, we changed the session's format. Reporters travelled to places that I have visited this year for one reason or another. In that sense, today's session was more focused on current issues of production in industry, we tried to look at the developments in different sectors of industry, and at those companies I visited this year, to see how my instructions aimed at stabilising them are being implemented. From that perspective, I found today's event particularly useful and interesting.

Question: This is your tenth Question & Answer session on TV. I understand that when you actually visit the place, you have enough time to go into the problems in some depth. But this four-hour session requires immediate response from you. Isn't that too much pressure?

Vladimir Putin: Certainly not. Let me repeat that I consider this kind of work extremely useful, especially in this new format. I was able to return to the companies I visited. I did not just study their problems on my visits, we sat down together and tried to find and draft solutions, to set goals for the federal and regional government bodies, and company shareholders. Then we tried to implement our plans together; and we keep trying now.

It is very important that I am aware of what is going on, and how people feel, in real time, not only from records.

Take, for example, the issue of overdue wages raised by representatives from the Amursk Shipyard. The reports told me that the problem was already resolved, but it turned out that that was not the case in reality..

I know that the arrears will be cleared in a few days' time. But there is a problem here. When money is transferred to the company's account, the bank performs a direct debit, because the company has huge debts. It becomes technically impossible to ensure that the money reaches the employees. But when records tell me the wages have been paid, but in reality people have received nothing, it's a different case. True, in this case it is not that they are withholding wages from their employees on principle, funds have been allocated especially for this purpose. But everything should be done on time. Otherwise it affects people's morale and their confidence that positive changes are occurring.

Issues relating to industrial production are also important: implementing production plans, there being markets for those products, providing financial support and prospects for development. This is very important and very useful.

Question: Mr Putin, you are head of the Russian Geographical Society's board of trustees. What trip would you like to make? What vehicle would you use for the journey?

Vladimir Putin: I am planning to address Polar Bear survival as part of my work for the society.

Question: But where would you go?

Vladimir Putin: Why, I would travel north, to the places where they live.

Question: There were very few questions about foreign policy today. How close do you think Iran is to making a nuclear bomb? Should Russia also impose sanctions?

Vladimir Putin: We do not have any information proving that Iran is working on nuclear weapons.

Question: I saw a question about doomsday on the screen. What is your idea of doomsday?

Vladimir Putin: I believe that all ideas involving any kind of apocalyptic expectations are dangerous. One should not wait for doomsday, but rather concentrate on a light in the end of the tunnel. I mean the end of the recession, the global financial crisis.

Question: During your presentation, you mentioned "inherent traits" in the Russian mentality which prevent us from improving our lives. Don't you think that this Q & A practice, which is very popular in Russia, encourages paternalism: making people believe in someone who has all the answers, rather than making efforts and acting to solve their own problems?

Vladimir Putin: I do not think so. Today we talked about the problems within limits of the Government's jurisdiction. I think that people have a right to know what exactly their government plans to do to resolve the country's problems with development, and how it will be done. This is what we tried to establish today.

Question: Are any cabinet reshuffles possible?

Vladimir Putin: What for?

Question: Please consider this: on the one hand, Russia and China are intensively developing energy cooperation; on the other hand, both countries plan to increase their share of high-tech products. How is it possible to maintain a balance between the two   developmental directions, in terms of the distribution of administrative and financial resources? Do you think the planned commissioning of the China Turkmenistan gas pipeline will affect the plans to build a Russia-China pipeline? Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Both Russia and China emphasise the need to see development in their high-tech sectors. Energy projects do not affecting these policies, in fact, they support them. Russian-Chinese cooperation is much broader than oil and gas.

Russian companies are currently building the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in China. We have recently agreed with Chinese partners, that Russian engineers will be directly involved in building more nuclear power generation units. This energy sector also forms part of the high-technology sphere.

We are also interested in expanding our high-tech equipment's export to China. We also welcome cooperation in other areas, and we also welcome China's initiatives. Our cooperation is a two-way road.

The commissioning of the Turkmenistan-China pipeline is not going to affect our plans to expand our own pipeline network, which could possibly also reach to China. I am referring to China's growing consumption of primary energy resources.

We maintain regular, close contact with our Chinese colleagues on this issue. We know how fast the demand is growing there, and they too are closely monitoring the situation. The gas link to Turkmenistan will not undermine our plans.

Question: Mr Putin, people who called today quoted officials who dismissed their requests saying things like "If Putin promised, go to him." What are you planning to do about it?

Vladimir Putin: This isn't a question of what I said or what I promised. We are talking about decisions taken by the Russian Government. They have to be implemented. Any official, who either does not want to or cannot implement them, will have to find another job. But I can assure you that they would rather pull themselves together and act as they should.