Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Buryatia industrialists to Vladimir Putin: "Colleges produce “chieftains”, but lathes require “Indians”
Vladimir Putin was in Buryatia in part to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the republic's accession to Russia, but that didn't keep the prime minister from attending to business.
"We produce Mi-171 helicopters and Su-25 fighters, which you have flown on. The production is well managed. The problem is personnel. Colleges produce chieftains, but we need Indians to work the lathes," said Leonid Belykh, director of a factory that manufactures aircraft.
Putin seemed baffled by the comparison, but he dutifully recorded the comment in his notebook.
"Buryatia produces meat in addition to milk," said Anatoly Radnayev, a representative of Moloko Buryatii (Milk of Buryatia). "You probably noted during breakfast..."
"I haven't eaten yet," Putin said.
"In 2009, the Russian government allocated 670 million roubles for two agricultural programmes in Buryatia. But in 2010 this funding was reduced almost three times," Radnayev said with an obvious air of confusion.
"I'll raise this in Moscow," Putin said.
Sergei Solyanik, head of an instrument-making plant, said: "I have refused to sign a state defence order. The work has become unprofitable. The Defence Ministry says, 'Accept our conditions or you will get nothing.' Check into it, and if I'm lying, you can execute me!"
"The Defence Ministry cannot do that," Putin said, suppressing a smile. "We live in a democratic country with a sophisticated legal system. This does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Defence Ministry. The Defence Ministry deals with the purchase of equipment and machinery, and it is supposed to monitor the quality and profitability of enterprises. This is our common objective."
Alexander Gamov
