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
“Support from Russian citizens has always helped us, and I’m confident that the government’s future line-up will rely on the people. We must never forget about the needs of ordinary people. We must always remember how government-level decisions influence the lives of all ordinary Russian citizens.”
“What we have heard in the preceding weeks and even months gives grounds for cautious optimism. We have heard signals concerning anti-missile defence, and we know that people close to Mr Obama say they should not hurry and the issue demands further analyses. We are glad to hear such statements. More that that, our proposal on developing those systems is still on the agenda. However, they demand team efforts.”
“Positive signals on NATO enlargement have also reached us. We have paid attention to people close to the new US President saying that there are many ways to guarantee Ukrainian and Georgian security, not necessarily through NATO. We are glad to hear it and are willing to join any discussion on the best possible options for international security.”
“Despite all the problems you have mentioned, we came to agreements with the United States on the Iranian and counter-terrorist themes, and our partnership was very fruitful and cooperative in some of those fields. We would not like to see them forgotten or ousted into the margins.”
“What cannot be settled through any negotiations are encroachments on our sovereignty. That is not up for discussion with other countries. What we want is an honest dialogue between countries based on international laws and principles with due account for American and Russian interests.”
“True, we have made economic diversification our goal only recently. On the whole, I think we have taken the right road and are reaching our targets at a fairly good pace. We'll make it, I am sure. The global financial and economic crisis is helping us, in a sense, because it forces us to be more rational, implement new technologies (energy saving, for example), upgrade production and retrain the personnel. All that gives us hope that we will get out of the crisis more mature and with better development prospects.”
“The balanced and reasonable policy of the recent years has made the Russian economy completely different from what it was in 1998. That is why we can afford a fairly mild treatment of the rouble exchange rate and why can keep all the social policy commitments we made during the period of economic growth.”
“The Russian economy is open. The rules we introduced on July 1, 2007, fully liberalise the financial market, and they stay valid despite financial hardships. We will treat foreign investors on a par with Russian. We protect their interests when they comply with the rules and laws of their host country.”
“We are discussing economic partnership now, and we have not given up the prospects of joining the World Trade Organisation. We will carry on talks with our American partners, and we hope they will support Russia's entrance to that international economic agency on standard and acceptable terms.”
“Just as any other developing market, Russia is playing an increasingly important role in the world economy, and that is clear to everyone. That is why the leaders of the biggest world economies say that such elite clubs as the G8 are getting too narrow for global decision-making, and decisions made by such elite clubs cannot aspire to be universally practicable.”
“We talk about the need to join efforts and to work out common rules-what Russia thinks should be said. First of all, we should discuss setting common standards in the global economy, including its national sectors.”
“There is a lot of talk today about the multi-polar character of the economy. What is meant is mainly prospects for establishing other reserve currencies in addition to the US dollar and the euro. In Russia we realise full well that declaration of a currency as reserve, even regional, is meaningless without economic development and diversification. It is quite possible, however, to speak of regional funds that could become a prototype for a unified economic policy in a particular region.”
“This is a special time we are going through. It is unusual due to the scope of the international financial crisis and its all-embracing character. I don't think international economic relations have seen anything like it throughout their history. So I think teamwork at such venues [World Economic Forum in Davos] is extremely important. Everyone says it is necessary to pool efforts and together overcome the problems in the global economy and finance. I think we need to take a practical approach.”
“An additional 83 billion roubles have been allocated for the purchase of 40,000 standard flats. They will be used to resolve the housing problems of army servicemen, as well as citizens living in dilapidated buildings. We will purchase the housing at its real price.”
“Starting this year, the tax break for citizens that are purchasing or building housing has been doubled to reach two million roubles. In other words, they will be able to save on the income tax up to 260,000 roubles, compared with 130,000 roubles, as was the case in the past. This norm will be retroactive and will apply to the families that bought housing last year. It has also become possible to use maternity capital for mortgage payments after the birth of the second child. We remember lengthy debates on whether this money will be paid to citizens at all. This year, people should start receiving this money, and not waiting until a child is three years old, but from the birth of the second child.”
“The borrowers that have become temporarily unable to pay mortgage interest rates due to the loss of a job or cuts in incomes will be offered special refinancing programmes, and a chance to pay in installments. The federal mortgage agency will also provide funds for this purpose.”
“In the building industry, the common logic of anti-crisis measures is to support the demand for housing and prevent the curtailment of construction projects. The majority of the adopted measures are oriented to directly help citizens and sustain the demand.”
“The charter capital of the Russian mortgage agency (AIZhK) was increased by 60 billion roubles, which has allowed the banks to continue implementing mortgage programmes.”
“Now, as you know, we are building Europe's largest medical centre for children with leukemia and blood cancers. We invested more than 40 million Euros in this project last year. This and next year will also see complete budget funding despite the financial crisis. Importantly, your help is welcome here, too. I know that special agencies have been established to train our personnel. I think the time will come when our partnership will really become fully bilateral cooperation because the project also envisages the largest European research centre.”
“The Finance Ministry and other colleagues have also backed the decision on the payment of dividends. They should be primarily channelled into investment.”
