President Vladimir Putin on the future Government’s line-up:
…Although there can be no classic coalition government in Russia, representatives of different political groups and parties can join it, provided they have the required skills and professionalism…
…No matter what public figures join the new Cabinet of Ministers, it can only be established on the basis of professionalism. No matter what political forces they represent, Cabinet members will have to discard their political ambitions and abide by the Government’s philosophy aimed at strengthening the state and continuing market reforms. The Government’s work will be based on these principles…
President Vladimir Putin on a strong state:
…Building a strong Russian state does not mean that the role of security agencies will increase…
…The West often misinterprets the concept of a strong Russian state. First of all, this implies a more effective state, which would formalise the rules of the game and guarantee their unfailing fulfillment by everyone without exception…
…We must also guarantee ownership rights for everyone without exception. This does not only concern private ownership; we plan to create equal opportunities for everyone. We must strengthen the judicial and arbitration systems and crack down on corruption in order to accomplish this objective …
…As we see it, these are all features of a strong state.
President Vladimir Putin on possible direct presidential rule in the Chechen Republic:
…The Security Council is now studying the possibility of introducing direct presidential rule in the Chechen Republic… Russian leaders are not convinced that this is the only possible option and that there is no alternative …
…Current counter-terrorist legislation could also be applied. Consequently, State Duma by-elections, which are impossible in case of direct presidential rule, could be held in the Chechen Republic …
…However, the experience of holding national presidential elections in Chechnya shows that the local population wants to take an active part in Russian political life and is doing this today …
…We could establish counter-terrorist areas in line with legislation and introduce a special regime there …
…I also want to draw your attention to the fact that direct presidential rule has not been fully defined in the national legislation yet …
President Vladimir Putin on the conversion of the nuclear industry:
…The Russian Government is ready to allocate 1.5 billion rubles from the federal budget on financing conversion programmes in the nuclear industry…
…Any conversion programme, including those in the nuclear industry, requires considerable financial resources …
…Instead of trying to find money, we must draft viable and economically sound projects …
President Vladimir Putin on contacts with G8 leaders:
… We maintain contacts with the US Administration, and we are planning to hold a number of joint events in the run-up to the G8 Okinawa summit, due to be held this summer. We also maintain direct relations with Japanese leaders …
… At the same time, present-day and projected short-term contacts with Western leaders are no top priority. … It is hard to discuss possible short-term personal contacts with foreign leaders because they will depend on the inauguration ceremony, the national political situation and other factors …