VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Will AvtoVAZ prevail over its domestic rivals?
Along with the deputies, the Prime Minister’s speech to the State Duma will be heard by all the 25 Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers except those who are on leave or away on business, said the Prime Minister’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov. The Prime Minister’s speech and answers to questions will take two to two and a half hours, says Mr Peskov. The report itself will take about an hour. In it the Prime Minister is going to speak about the Government’s work during the past year and the anti-crisis package, amendments to the budget and answer 12 questions from the parliamentary parties (three from each), which had been sent to him last week.
The head of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, reported to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday that the construction of the Blue Stream-2 gas pipeline (under the Black Sea via Turkey to Israel) is to go ahead as planned. Turkey has confirmed that it is interested. “I think the new Israeli Government will support the project,” Mr Putin said.
Society must consolidate, study the Government’s anti-crisis plan and accept it in order to cope with the crisis together. This was the appeal Prime Minister Vladimir Putin launched yesterday to the leaders of political parties, representatives of the business community and members of the Public Chamber.
Vladimir Putin yesterday was listening to public comments on the Government’s anti-crisis programme. The meeting had the format of a conversation with the representatives of non-governmental organisations. Also present were the speakers of the two houses of Parliament and leaders of the opposition CPRF and LDPR. The part that was open to the press did not see any impressive anti-crisis initiatives. Academician Velikhov praised the Government and suggested timidly that it should emulate the best of America’s experience.
On Wednesday Prime Minister Vladimir Putin invited the comrades from United Russia to his Novo-Ogaryovo residence to discuss ways out of the crisis (read a more detailed account on our website kp.ru). The fellow party members, engaged in a lively discussion of the food market, did not suspect that a sudden surge of demand for food, or rather dessert, was being displayed in the adjoining room.
When Prime Minister Putin published the anti-crisis programme in March he encouraged all the Cabinet members to organise its public discussion. Fulfilling his instructions the ministers were all over the television screens for two weeks. Mr Putin was the most active of all, which was natural because he was to report the anti-crisis plan to the State Duma on Monday, April 6. The Prime Minister continued the discussion of anti-crisis measures with the leaders of parties and non-governmental organisations yesterday.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the leaders of political parties and representatives of citizens’ organisations to hear their comments on the Government’s anti-crisis programme. “We will take into account any constructive, reasonable and feasible proposals regardless of who makes them,” Mr Putin said surveying the table at which Sergei Mironov, Boriz Gryzlov, Gennady Zyuganov and Vladimir Zhirinovsky were sitting. Mr Putin said that “we cannot pretend that nothing is happening”, assured those present that Russia would emerge strengthened from the crisis, before giving the floor to his guests.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of the parliamentary United Russia Party at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence yesterday. Among those invited were Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, his deputies, and the heads of Duma committees. The topic was the Government’s anti-crisis programme. United Russia submitted a package of proposals on social support to the Prime Minister. The package is a bizarre mixture of populism and a clear wish to make the people bear the brunt of the crisis. For example, Boris Gryzlov suggested that “construction” bonds be sold to citizens, the purchase of such bonds would be a test of their patriotism.
The leadership of the United Russia (UR) party yesterday put its proposals on improving the Government’s anti-crisis programme to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The Prime Minister in turn called on the party members to “bring in all the structural units” to explain the anti-crisis measures to the population.
