Komsomolskaya Pravda: “Vladimir Putin: We have prevented unemployment from spiralling out of control”
The prime minister sums up the government's efforts in 2009.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin spoke on the results of the outgoing year at a meeting with journalists after his two-day visit to the Far East (see yesterday's issue and the newspaper's web site, kp.ru, for details).
"The most important achievement is that we have (...) prevented unemployment from spiralling out of control," Putin said. "Second, the country's banking system survived. ... Remember 1998: all of the country's largest banks (...) went out of business, disappearing along with their clients' money. We have not allowed that to happen. ... (N)one of them have been abandoned. I think the most important achievement is that our anti-crisis plan has worked."
Dependence on oil
When asked if he ever regrets his decisions, the prime minister said: "I have a purely logical approach, and I am used to functioning without excessive emotion. ...Our most obvious error is that we failed, or were reluctant to pursue, a harsher economic policy. We spent too much, but this was due to the particular circumstances in the country in the early and mid-1990s. Looking back now, from a pragmatically economic point of view, we should have spent less on social programmes and more on economic diversification and development."
"However, from the social perspective, we were right to do as we did, since Russians were faced with serious challenges in the early and mid-1990s," Putin said. "We needed to give people at least some compensation for their losses to boost public confidence in the government. ...(H)ad we acted differently, Russia would have been even less affected by the global economic crisis, because it would have had a more diversified economy."
He also said that Russia still depends on oil export, but the government is working to change the situation.
Balance of forces
The trouble is that "our American partners are building a global missile defence system, and we aren't," the prime minister said. "But missile defence and strategic offensive weapons are closely interrelated issues. If we do not develop a missile defence system, the risk arises that our partners will feel entirely secure and protected against our offensive weapons systems. ...If the balance I mentioned is disrupted, they will feel able to act with impunity, increasing the level of aggression in politics and, incidentally, in the economy. ...(O)ur partners should give us information about their ballistic missile defence system and in return we will give them information about our offensive weapons."
Housing and utilities charges
"The housing and utilities sector is a (...) monopolised market primarily developed by the bureaucracy," Putin said. "The sector's modernisation should not always be linked with higher tariffs. (W)e must get rid of tiny pocket companies monopolising the market of utility services. (...) Enterprises in the housing and utilities sector must react promptly to changes in macroeconomic conditions. (But) no one has the right to speculate and misuse these macroeconomic indices (...) and to unjustifiably inflate the costs of these services. The federal government (...) will continue to monitor this process."
Georgia
The prime minister commented on his proposal for rebuilding the war memorial recently destroyed in Georgia.
"The creator of the project has reacted positively to the idea of restoring this monument in Moscow. Clearly, given the situation, the Georgian government will exert political pressure on him," Putin said. "The reconstruction of this monument in Moscow would mean another smack in the face for them. If despite this, he (the Georgian sculptor) will persevere and decides to be part of this project, then we will welcome his involvement. Standards at the Georgian art school are very high, and (...) there are many talented members of the Georgian community in Moscow who could become involved in this work. As far as Zurab Tsereteli is concerned, (...) he could play a role in organising this work. (But) I don't want to predict who will head it. That is none of my business."
