Mir broadcasting interviews Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
On the Customs Union
Vladimir Putin commented on the recent talks between the Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh prime ministers in St Petersburg. He admitted that a number of issues concerning the Customs Union have yet to be settled.
"More precisely, certain details of our economic co-operation have yet to be agreed upon," Putin said. "For example, one country, Kazakhstan, has a rule allowing individuals to bring up to two tons of foreign goods across the border at a customs rate of just 0.6 euro. Two tons is a lot for one person. And there aren't any restrictions on the number of trips. This is a clear blow to our light industry, as many of these goods are from China."
The difference between import duties on foreign cars was another issue that has yet to be agreed upon, the prime minister said.
"We have reached specific agreements with investors who have come to the Customs Union territory, organised production, created jobs and brought new technologies," Putin said. "But we promised that we would maintain a certain level of customs protection when bringing new and especially used cars onto our territory. If we don't uphold our position, then the future of some enterprises will be in question."
The prime minister said several outstanding questions remain in terms of aircraft imports. He stressed that "some countries propose charging a zero duty on the entire range of aircraft."
"This is unacceptable for us," Putin said. "Otherwise, our aviation enterprises that we are starting to modernise now, that we hope will stand on their own two feet and be competitive not only on our market, but also on world markets ... will not be able to stand up."
In the prime minister's opinion, creating the Customs Union is an arduous path.
"But we understand how to achieve a compromise and I think we'll cover this path," he said.
On Belarus' gas prices
"Considering our special relations with Belarus, and wishing to give support to the Belarusian people and economy, we have offered full-scale privileges – and I stress – full-scale privileges for Belarus' domestic needs by providing 6.3 million tons of crude oil for internal consumption," Putin said. "I repeat we provided this duty-free. But our colleagues want the privilege to expand. This is another story."
Only a few years ago, Moscow and Minsk agreed on a phased transition to the basic European gas price formula, the prime minister said.
"During the first year, it would be 75% of the projected European price," Putin said. "Then the price would reach 80%, 90% and then 100%. The full price would be charged as of 2011. Our Belarusian friends asked us last year and two years ago to preserve the 2008 price and discount. We accommodated them in 2009. And then they said they would go up two notches. I said at the time that it would be difficult, but they insisted and we agreed. Now they are unilaterally paying us the 2008 price. They are underpaying. They have built up a debt. Even so, it's a problem that concerns economic entities and I hope it will be solved at that level."
On relations with Tbilisi
"We consider the Georgians to be a friendly people with regard to Russia and the Russians," Putin said. "We won't interfere in any way in its domestic political affairs. Our meetings with Georgia's opposition do not mean that we seek to interfere in the country's domestic affairs. They mean the Georgian public understands – and we're glad they do – that the relations between our states should at least be normal."
The prime minister stressed that maintaining a dialogue with various political forces in Georgia may be a good prerequisite for establishing "normal interstate relations" with Tbilisi.
On Kyrgyzstan
Putin described the situation in Kyrgyzstan as "complicated and controversial."
"It's impossible to provide an assessment because sometimes we don't quite understand the internal processes," he said.
The prime minister also noted that Moscow considered extending and increasing its humanitarian aid for Kyrgyzstan.
"Of course, we would like to see the current authorities' legitimacy confirmed by universally recognized procedures, through elections," Putin said. "I'm aware that Kyrgyzstan's leadership is preparing for the elections. We welcome this move and support dialogue. However, there are a number of procedural and protocol issues. This and this alone is why the country's leaders have been absent at recent meetings. Having said that, it's clear what is happening in integration groups at a technical level. We're providing full information to Kyrgyzstan on this note."
By Alexander Kots