niknikolay asked:
5 Annual Big Press Conference Part 2
January 31, 2006
President of Russia V.Putin
Round Hall,the Kremlin,Moscow
Of course this is not all that we have managed or failed to do, but these accomplishments are fundamental and I would like to draw your attention to them.
I think that we should now to turn to the main part of our meeting and I shall try to answer your questions. Please go ahead.
ALEKSEI GROMOV: Colleagues, please go ahead.
I think that you began the press conference last year and the year before that? Please introduce yourself.
ANDREI TUMANOV (Vashi 6 Sotok newspaper [gardening publication]): Yes, not only the last one but the one before that.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, at the last press conference we touched on the difficulties of privatising gardens and vegetable plots. We talked about this and then the Government studied the question and even Fradkov called it ‘the garden nightmare.’ It has been announced that a ‘garden amnesty’ is being prepared. What do you think, will the Government’s promise to bring an ‘garden amnesty’ result in a situation whereby an average person could privatize her plot of land in a normal way, without unnecessary delay, and even receive income to support her as a pensioner?
VLADIMIR PUTIN: It is pleasant that after such global questions we go right to very concrete ones. In addition, concerning the positive things our Government and the leadership of our country has done, I would like to also mention here that the number of our citizens living under the poverty line has significantly decreased, as has the level of unemployment.
And what you just said is linked to my two previous remarks because, of course, gardening constitutes a significant income for a large number of Russian citizens and after our previous meeting I formulated an order for the Government of the Russian Federation on this theme. The Government then prepared a draft bill on liberalizing purchasing real estate and land plots.
I hope that in the very near future, at the spring session, this law will be adopted [by the State Duma].
OKSANA BOIKO (TV channel Russia Today): Vladimir Vladimirovich, please tell us what has Russia’s leadership chosen as its priority directions for the upcoming G8 summit? What are the topics? What answer would you give sceptics who say that Russia does not belong in the G8.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: We chose the topics based on the themes that are being put forward for discussion at the G8 summit this summer in St Petersburg. The problems and challenges that are literally facing humanity. This the first thing.
The second. When choosing certain themes, we deliberately tried to choose those in which Russia could actively and effectively take part in finding a solution to the problem.
For this reason it was natural to make our choice during consultations with our partners, and we regularly work with our partners from the G8, both during the Sherpa meetings and at the highest political level. I am very thankful to our partners for the help and support they gave us both before choosing the themes and during the preparation which is now underway. So for this reason it was natural for us. We first chose energy security in the world, second the fight against infectious diseases, and third problems concerning education. In addition, all of these themes are constantly being discussed in the G8 in one or another form, style or amount. We are suggesting them as core topics. All of our partners have agreed to this.
Kiley