Moskovsky Komsomolets: "MEDVEDEV READY TO POSE SHIRTLESS"
President Medvedev tells BBC he and Putin ‘both are good cops!'
The Russian President decided to take a leaf out of Vladimir Putin's book. Not only did he board a fighter jet, but he told the BBC channel he was ready to pose topless. That was a joke of course, but he made it perfectly clear to the BBC host that major decisions in modern Russia are made by the president. The incumbent president, that is.
The British journalist interviewing Dmitry Medvedev shortly before the G20 summit in London said Putin was well known in the West and that they have seen the photos of him "fishing shirtless."
"I am ready to do a photo session if that helps," joked Medvedev.
He also suggested that future Russian presidents take leads from his biography. "I find my previous practice and my previous experience very helpful. I have dealt with legal matters, I have dealt with business, and I have my own views on many processes. I believe that the experience of working for the Government which I had by the time I was elected President- almost nine years' experience - has also been helpful. So I think this combination is very useful. Anyway, I will advise future Presidents to work in all these spheres," he said.
The interview certainly covered more serious aspects of the President-Prime Minister relationship than a possible photo session without a shirt.
During President Sarkozy's visit to Russia, Putin was quoted as saying that he was the bad cop while the President was the good cop, according to the BBC. "No, I do not think so. I believe, we both are good cops," Medvedev laughed.
"Are you in charge of Mr Putin or vice versa?" the host asked.
"I am leading the country, I am the head of state, and the division of power is based on this. Mr. Putin is the prime minister of the Cabinet, which implies very complicated and comprehensive work. But it is clear that the President is taking major decisions on behalf of the State," Medvedev answered.
However, he avoided directly answering whether he was thinking of running for a second term. "I would rather finish this term and then assess the situation. Plans for a second term can be made only by a person who believes his term to be a success," he said.
On Saturday Medvedev flew aboard a Su-34 fighter. He went through pre-flight instruction and a medical check at the Kubinka air base, and then boarded the bomber to sit in the navigating officer's seat.
The pilot, Yury Gritsayenko, who heads the air force's combat training centre, took him for a long and exiting ride. During their 30-minute flight, he imitated combat maneuvers for the President and even demonstrated some aerobatics. "We did two barrel-rolls, it felt so good," the President commented. He said he had a fantastic experience and that the Su-34 was an excellent plane, very powerful and maneuverable.
What planes has Putin flown? During his long political career, the former President boarded several kinds of combat aircraft and even piloted some of them. In October 1999, then a prime minister, he flew a Su-25UB assault aircraft. A year later, as acting President, he piloted a Su-27UB for 10 minutes during a flight from Krasnodar to Grozny. In 2005, he flew the Tu-160 strategic bomber, Pavel Taran, for five hours, which was refueled in flight.
What else did the President tell the BBC?
On the Mikhail Khodorkovsky case:
"If there is an acquittal - that's one thing, if there is a conviction - that's another thing, but in any case, this will be decided by the court, and neither the President, nor anybody else has the right to interfere."
On the Andrei Lugovoi case:
"You know, we may have problems that cannot be settled in a judicial manner, so it's not possible to seek a legal solution to them. With regard to the extradition of a Russian citizen, our Constitution and our legislation contain the relevant provisions, which have been repeatedly brought to the attention of our British partners. Russia, like many other countries, has never used such a practice, irrespective of how sensitive the issue is."
On Barack Obama:
"I know him well; I have seen him many times on TV. (Laughing.) But seriously speaking, we have had two telephone conversations. These were fruitful and constructive talks. We exchanged letters to present our own vision of the evolution of the world situation. I would like to say that, in my view, the message by President Obama was very positive. And, frankly speaking, when I was reading it I was even surprised by the fact that many views outlined there coincided with my own."
On murders of journalists:
"I do not believe that all such cases revolve around politics. Yet, I am sure, in some cases it is a matter of political revenge. Each of them should be examined in the most detailed manner, and the criminals should be found and prosecuted. This is the only way to change the situation."
