Says the crisis gives him "some drive".
On his trip to Beijing, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin devoted all of yesterday to Russian-Chinese cooperation. And it was a busy day: He met with Chinese journalists, watched a parade in his honour, held talks with members of the State Council of the PRC and attended a gala concert. The Chinese made it clear that they regarded Putin as Russia's answer to ex-Chairman Jiang Zemin.
Yet, Putin's visit wasn't the only reason for a big red-letter day at the Russian Embassy. The Assumption Church on the Embassy grounds was also blessed yesterday. The church had originally been built on the grounds of the Russian religious mission to Beijing back in 1902, but the mission was shut down in 1955 and the church was then used as a garage.
A year and a half ago, the crumbling building started to undergo repairs (officially, the money was put up by private businessmen, including Oleg Deripaska). Now, a golden dome with a cross on a small belfry tower glitters in the sun against the backdrop of Chinese residential blocks.
"You can't even imagine the effort it cost us," Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said, shaking his head and squinting at the cross. "It was an uphill battle."
"A battle against whom?" Izvestia's correspondent asked.
"Against the Chinese. They were adamant against restoring the church. Even now they won't let us ring the bells, supposedly so that we don't disturb the local people." Mr Zhukov pointed to the Chinese buildings behind the barbed wire fence. "They only allow us to ring the bells seven times a year, on holidays."
This year, it will only be six times, since Mr Putin's arrival at the Embassy from the state residence (where heads of state usually stay) was greeted with the bells.
Chinese journalists awaited Mr Putin in the Embassy's main building. He had agreed to talk to them for at least an hour. One of the bravest among them asked Mr Putin how it felt to be Prime Minister.
"You may have heard that when I was the President we formulated a plan for the country's development through 2020," Mr Putin reminded the Chinese. "I was very actively involved in working out that plan. And now, as Prime Minister, I have a unique opportunity to put it into practice. I'm quite pleased to be able to do that."
Mr Putin told his Chinese audience that he was especially interested in "economic development, innovation, the pension system and the development of infrastructure".
"And one more thing... Today the crisis puts us in a unique situation," Mr Putin continued. "That, of course, is a challenge: we have to grapple with large-scale, pressing problems, but in principle I like such large-scale and pressing tasks. It gives you a certain drive."
"I am quite happy with my position and the practical content of my work. On the whole, I think I'm coping with it and this gives me satisfaction," Mr Putin said. "Having said that, just like any person with common sense, I‘m aware that I could have done more and I could have done it better."
At this point, he received a question about the interaction between Moscow and Beijing on the international arena.
"I would like to stress that both Russia and China are pursuing a very peaceful, very peace-loving policy," Mr Putin assured his audience. "For instance, we have no troops abroad... Our countries are doing a great deal together to secure peace. And these are not just mere words... The joint position of Russia and China serves as a deterrent to some of our hotheaded colleagues."
Vladimir Putin also received questions about economics, specifically about the chances of a major agreement being signed between Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation.
"I'm sure everything will be fine," Mr Putin said with a reassuring smile.
The Russian journalists who were anxiously watching the video screen and eavesdropping on the conversation in the next room rushed towards Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin. He refused to comment on the chances of the contract being signed that day but noted that "Alexei Miller never travels without a purpose."
Sure enough, the head of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, was not there just to sightsee as a member of the delegation. Two hours later, he announced at the People's Assembly House that a contract would not be signed just yet, though an agreement on Russian gas supplies to the PRC would be. According to Mr Miller, the document envisages supplies "from two directions, the eastern and the western," i.e. from fields in Eastern Siberia, the Far East and Sakhalin and from Western Siberia, respectively. The total amount will be about 70 billion cubic metres of gas a year. The timeframe and the price of gas apparently have not yet been agreed upon, but the head of Gazprom expressed hope that supplies of liquefied gas from Sakhalin to China could start "already next year".
The agreement was signed in the presence of both Mr Putin and the Premier of the PRC State Council Wen Jiabao in the People's Assembly House, in front of which the Russian Prime Minister watched a mini parade of the guard of honour. All in all, more than ten important agreements were signed during Putin's visit (including an agreement on mutual notification of ballistic missile launches), not to mention the multitude of business contracts signed at the 4th Russian-Chinese Business Forum.
Alexander Latyshev