President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good evening, Mr Volodin.
I understand that you wanted to share updates regarding the process of forming the Government. In accordance with the amended Constitution, the Parliament has been granted additional rights in forming the supreme executive body.
How did this process go?
Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin: Mr President, these powers are new for State Duma deputies. When amendments to the Constitution were being discussed, you proposed transferring some of the presidential powers to our citizens, allowing them to participate in the formation of the Government through their deputies. Of course, it was a critically important period for us, since it was the first time we had these powers in approving Government members.
We made sure to approach it responsibly. The entire procedure took us four days to complete. It involved approving the Prime Minister, as per your recommendation, as well as approving the deputy prime ministers and ministers. Accordingly, the State Duma committees held discussions as part of this procedure.
We spent a whole day discussing it because there were too many questions. Overall, more than 300 questions were asked. At first, our colleagues in the Government, who took part in the procedure for the first time, did not fully understand the significance of the matter, but they gradually became aware of its importance and realised that they were talking to the people through the deputies and that their answers were intended not only for the deputies but for everyone watching the hearing. It was broadcast live; we prepared for it in advance and linked up with regional parliaments via videoconference. Members of our business community were present in the State Duma.
The questions covered a wide range of topics, but the tone was invariably positive. It was clear that all the candidates, especially those for deputy prime ministers, were strong. We knew all of them. Reshuffles usually involve the assessment of the candidates’ efficiency. Overall, this produced the desired result. Some candidates were supported unanimously, others were approved in advance, for example, because some candidates for ministerial positions were governors and had proved their worth in that role. I would like to note that the regions they governed are successful, which explains our positive attitude towards them.
There were also critical remarks and proposals aimed at improving the work of the candidates who held ministerial positions in the previous Government. There are some unresolved problems, for example, in demography, healthcare, education, housing and utilities, as well as physical fitness and sport.
We emphasised to our former colleague who was nominated for the post of sports minister the importance of supporting physical education so that our young people could participate in activities like football, volleyball or ice hockey. No matter how they do this – in courtyards or sport sections – this must above all be affordable. We urged the candidate to focus on these formats rather than on sports clubs or federations, which are currently receiving the bulk of attention. We believe that the Minister can work jointly with the State Duma to change the approach and do everything necessary to ensure that our children have access to sports facilities and create an environment and conditions for a healthy lifestyle.
We directed the attention of the candidate for the post of Healthcare Minister to the point that it was extremely important for us to resolve all staffing problems in healthcare. You have issued relevant instructions to the Federal Assembly, and we believe that we should address these issues jointly with the Government because there are about 30,000 doctor vacancies at the moment, and we need to join forces to find a solution.
In fact, when we speak about this new procedure which you initiated, and I want to emphasise it once again, by transferring the President’s powers to the State Duma, it really does change the attitude of the deputies’ corps to their work in the first place. We started to realise the full responsibility for our decisions and for their outcomes. In the past, for example, when a problem arose, the deputies would often attribute it to the Government’s inefficiency, avoiding taking personal responsibility and blaming the Government instead.
Now that the State Duma has been granted such authority, the responsibility is shared. As a result, we will see a different quality of work. The deputies will have only themselves to blame because they approved, supported and discussed a certain matter. They will have to offer a helping hand, suggest a solution, and share the responsibility.
Therefore, I would like to stress once again that it is the first time in the history of modern Russia that the State Duma has been in charge of decisions such as approving the Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers and ministers. Potentially, it will bring positive results for the development of democracy, parliamentarism and, of course, the empowerment of the people.
Vladimir Putin: Forming the executive authorities, and especially the Government, after the Presidential election is a crucial stage in the work of the State Duma because, as I have already mentioned, there must be no disruptions in the work. There must be no disruptions during ordinary times and especially in the current circumstances.
Therefore, I would like to thank you and all the deputies for completing this work based on the interests of the state rather than some group interests. From what I observed, this was indeed your approach. I must admit, I had certain concerns when we were working on the amendments to the Constitution. This is natural; there is nothing unusual about it. We were addressing the intricacies of parliamentarism, particularly when top officials responsible for specific areas in the Government go through the approval process. It is inevitable that group interests come into play. However, the deputies of this convocation managed to overcome these challenges. On the contrary, from what I saw, they were primarily motivated by national interests and goals. They supported candidates based on personal and professional qualities rather than group or party considerations. This is very important. Thank you very much.
I know that you will be departing for Tehran tomorrow morning.
Vyacheslav Volodin: As per your instructions, I will be flying to Tehran early tomorrow morning to attend the funeral ceremony for President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi. You have given me the authority to represent our country. The President of Iran, who died in a helicopter crash, did a great deal to strengthen relations between our countries. He addressed the State Duma, and when we visited Iran, he met with our deputies. Therefore, it is indeed a huge loss, as you said.
Vladimir Putin: President Raisi’s death is truly a great loss, first of all, for Iran and the Iranian people. Please convey my sincere condolences in connection with this tragedy.
He was indeed a very reliable partner. Direct, confident and, above all, guided by national interests. He was a man of his word, and it was a pleasure working with him. I mean that whenever we reached an agreement, we could always be certain that it would be honoured.
For our part, we will make every effort to ensure that Russian-Iranian relations continue to develop in the same spirit. Please convey these words to Iran’s leadership. And if our colleagues require it, we are ready to do everything we can to provide them with expert support and assistance in determining the true cause of this crash.
Vyacheslav Volodin: Mr President, I will certainly carry out your instructions. It is clear that the situation is sombre, but as you rightly said, we must stand by our country's partners.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
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