BBC Monitoring President Putin answers questions 19 December 2002: Full Text Source: RTR Russia TV, Moscow, in Russian 0900 gmt 19 Dec 02
[Presenter Yekaterina Andreyeva] Hello, this is a special Channel One and Russia TV programme - a direct line to President Putin.
[Presenter Sergey Brilev] This direct line will be conducted by Yekaterina Andreyeva
[Andreyeva] And Sergey Brilev.
[Brilev] There are some new aspects to this year's direct line. Whereas last year we were in contact with Russia's cities and large towns, today we will be in contact with six regional centres, two villages and two small towns. The questions may be asked live on air.
[Andreyeva] Questions may also be put to the president on the phone. The number is: eight, followed by the dialling tone, then 800-200-4040. Calls are free from any part of the country.
[Brilev] Those using the worldwide web may use a special site. Its address is www.linia2002.ru.
[Andreyeva] And now the Kremlin live on air, with the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
[Putin comes in and sits down]
[Andreyeva] Good day, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
[Brilev] Good day once again. Last time we met in the similar format on 24 December 2001, almost a year ago. Three is God's number. The second time around, we already have an indication that this is going to be a new presidential tradition that is being established in our television. -----
[Brilev] Chelyabinsk is still on the line. Your second question.
[Questioner] Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich. I'm Vladimir Goryachev. Right now bandits are killing civilians in Chechnya - women, children, old people, all the while crying Allah Akbar. And they use Islam as a cover for all this. Please tell us what our attitude to Islam should be?
[Putin, with a sigh] This is an acute issue. Naturally, not only our country, but many other countries of the world also come up against the problem of terrorism, and very often these terrorists hide behind Islamic slogans. But I must tell you that this too is a problem that we have received from outside. They are either religious fanatics or people who hide behind Islamic slogans while actually carrying out orders for money. They are mercenaries and ordinary bandits. In China, they say that such people will call any woman who has milk mother. They are people without roots. They are simply bandits. You know, this has nothing to do with religion. Any religion, especially a world religion such as Islam or Christianity, is based on the principles of humanism or philanthropy. There are and have been examples of extremism in any religion. Just remember what the Inquisition did in the name of Christ in the Middle Ages.
Our big and unquestionable advantage is that throughout centuries, for over a thousand years, a certain balance has been achieved in our country between Christianity and Judaism, between Christians and Muslims. This is a great we have in our multi-faith and multiethnic country. The aim of the bandits and terrorists is to incite conflict between peoples and faiths in the Russian Federation. We should not never give them a chance to do this. Under no circumstances. We have something we all share, something that any normal civilized person values most of all - our fatherland. We are all compatriots. And we must treat each other as members of one family, as brothers and sisters. ----
[Andreyeva] The village of Tolbazy, where Yevgeniy Rozhkov is working. Yevgeniy we are waiting a question from the people of Tolbazy.
[Correspondent] Hello, Yekaterina. Hello, Sergey. Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
We are coming to you live from Bashkortostan, from, as you correctly said, the village of Tolbazy, which is some 80 km from the capital of the republic, the city of Ufa.
You will understand yourselves that it is fairly cold here, as you can see from the freezing people standing here. However, literally half the village has turned up. And everyone wants to ask a question. Tolbazy is unusual in that it is multiethnic. More than 20 ethnic groups have lived here in peace with each other over several centuries. As I said, there are lot of questions. So let's get cracking.
Please, introduce yourself to start with.
[Questioner] [Name unclear], from the Urozhay farm cooperative. I am also member of the union of Afghan veterans.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello.
[Putin] Hello.
[Questioner] I am interested in what is going on today in Chechnya. Maybe it is time to start talks. You have also talked about a global Islamic state on Russian territory. Is this really possible?
[Brilev] There has been some talks of the Caliphate in your speeches, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
[Putin] The first thing about the situation in Chechnya and possible talks is this: a bad peace is always better than a good war. We have always proceeded from this premise and continue to do so to this very day. In this sense, of course, talks are always a path towards a settlement.
The only question is this: who is one to come to terms with and what about? Who is it that is confronting us in Chechnya? Let us say outright that there are a number of people there whom we call separatists, who have strived and continue to strive to hive off Chechnya from the Russian Federation. We have already had talks with them and in 1996 we satisfied all their demands, we agreed de facto to Chechnya's independence and signed the Khasavyurt agreements. We are all very well aware to what this led to - the attack on Dagestan and the expansion of aggression. Are we to talk to them again? About what? We, after all, reached a complete agreement with them and gave them everything. What are we to talk about with them?
Or should we say - the boys down there got a bit out of control, caused a bit of trouble? And by the way, according to various estimates, as a result of ethnic cleansing there up to 30,000 people, or may be even more, have been killed. They caused a bit of trouble, got a bit of training in. Let them keep training, should we? No, that's enough. This won't occur again.
Who else can we talk to? We are also faced there by international terrorists, who work for money, and mere bandits.We have nothing to say to terrorists and bandits. But I would like to say that last year we made an attempt to come to an agreement with a representatives of Maskhadov. We invited him to Moscow. Nothing came of it - they just disappeared. But it would be pointless to increase the federal military presence there, because there are no large-scale military activities under way. The army has completed its task, and we need to do something very different there: we need to develop a political process. We have to make it possible for people to take power into their own hands, we have to make sure there is a legal basis, a working constitution and that on the basis of this constitution legitimate authorities are elected who would be trusted by the people and who would take responsibility for the future of this republic. What was the second part of your question?
[Questioner] An Islamic state on Russian territory.
[Putin] This totally nonsensical idea does not differ in any way from the idea of world domination in the name of which the fascists carried out their crimes. How is it different? The fascists did things on the basis of race and ethnicity, while here the basis is religion. But what we see is not just the Islamic factor, as they say, but the radical Islamic factor. These people see as their enemies not only Christians or people from other religions, but also Muslims who don't share their ideas. Their idea is to set up a Caliphate not just in Russia, but across the entire world. I repeat, this differs very little from the idea of world domination promulgated at one time by Hitler and his entourage. These people are criminal elements with whom we should be robust and consistent. Why have they turned their attention to Russia? Well, first, we have large numbers of Muslim people concentrated together in small areas, and they think they can fool these people. Second, until recently, at least until the early and mid nineties, Russia was seen as easy prey: the state had weakened, and the first step toward realizing this aim [of a global Islamic state] could be taken here. They will not succeed. ----- [Male questioner] Viktor Mikhaylovich Konyayev, Vladikavkaz resident, an ethnic Russian, WWII veteran, full companion of the Order of Glory. Here in Ossetia, an interethnic policy is implemented very well. I think that this should be like this everywhere. However, we see on television that this is not the case. An elderly Azeri man has been killed in Moscow and later, in the republics of the Volga region, there have been violations against Orthodox Christian churches. They wanted to destroy an Orthodox church. What is your attitude now and how will you treat in future people who do such things? Vladimir Vladimirovich, how do you intend to put right interethnic relations in our country? We hear a lot and we know a lot what an interethnic policy is about. I think that you have such powers which you will be able to apply to solve this problem.
[Putin] Viktor Mikhaylovich, you are an experienced and wise person and it is no accident that you have addressed the key problem of our state, because in such an multiethnic country as Russia, it is extremely important to preserve enterethnic peace and to maintain the status quo which has existed over centuries, as I already said, if the state is to survive. It is a major, most important national issue.
It is true, we do come across from time to time manifestations of xenophobia and crime inspired by interethnic enmity. It is absolutely inadmissible and the authorities should react to it resolutely.
You mentioned attacks on people from the Caucasus on Moscow markets. I can tell you that all the organizers of these disturbances and those who were in the end responsible for people's deaths - they have been charged with criminal responsibility. There are five of them altogether. They have been sentenced to long prison terms. However, I agree with you absolutely in that the state must be consistent on this issue, by no means ignoring even smallest incidents of such nature. This concerns manifestations of anti-Semitism and anti-Russian attitudes and negative attitudes towards people from the Caucasus and so on and so forth. We all must understand that we are a single family, as I have already said. In this respect, of significance is not only the position of the state, the head of state, the government and parliament but also of utmost importance is the attitude of the public to such incidents. And, to a great degree, of utmost importance is the position of people like you - veterans of war and labour, people who enjoy well-deserved respect in our society and our country.
[Brilev] Thank you, North Ossetia.
---- [Male questioner] Comrade Commander-in-Chief, in 1994, the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation was bestowed upon me for the combat actions on the Tajik-Afghan border. At the moment, neither I nor my family have the Russian citizenship. Can you help me? Warrant Officer Oleg Anatoliyevich Orlov, 201st Division. Thank you.
[Putin] Oleg Anatoliyevich, have you made an application for citizenship?
[WO Orlov] I did, many times.
[Putin] It is regrettable that Russian citizenship has not been granted to you yet. I think this is unacceptable. If a Hero of Russia wishes to be a citizen of Russia and is not a citizen, this is unacceptable.
In accordance with the law on citizenship and the constitution of the Russian Federation, the president has special powers in this area. I promise you that this issue will be finally resolved in the course of the next week.
[Brilev] Vladimir Vladimirovich, this is not only the matter of the very wide powers which you have in this area; it also means that maybe the law on citizenship needs some improvement. Over the Internet we have had a very similar request. Look at this:
I was born in Dushanbe. I took part in combat in Chechnya. In August 1995, I was shell-shocked and injured. I have a medal for my courage, an order of courage, a medal of distinction in protection of public law and order. At the moment I am living in St Petersburg and I cannot get [Russian] citizenship. Rodionov, an employee of the interior system, is asking to look into this matter. It seems that this is not an isolated case.
[Putin] Yes, it is a problem of improving the citizenship law that we discussed at the beginning of our meeting today, at the beginning of the conversation. I did not want to talk about it then, but now in the context of request from military people and in the context of your question I shall voice my opinion. I believe that it would be appropriate for us to amend the law in such a manner that the people who wish to serve in the armed forces of the Russian Federation would be entitled to a fast-track granting of the Russian citizenship, either shortly after end of their service in the army, or while still serving in the army. There is a practice like this in many countries of the world. I think Russia could follow this route.
[Brilev] Well, thank you Tajikistan, thank you 201st Division. Margarita, we now say good-bye to you. I suggest we get back to the call centre.
We have been on the air for about an hour and a half. Last time, the very peak of calls happened at this point. Over to you, Kirill Kleymenov. ---- [Brilev] So, another question for Dubna?
[Correspondent in the field] We still have a question.
[Female questioner] Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich. I am Nadezhda Smirnova, the head of all the town's pre-school establishments. First of all, we want to congratulate you on the New Year and to wish you strength, good health and success in all your undertakings.
[Putin] Thank you.
[Questioner] Let me use this occasion to invite you to our town. We have a beautiful town and fantastic people, and we'll be glad to see you in our town.
My question is: how could it happen that after the seizure of the Dubrovka theatre by terrorists - [gasps and sobs]. Sorry. The bandits managed to pass. How could it happen? Will anybody be punished in the wake of this? And what is the situation with security in general, as we all are worrying about our children and our town residents' safety? How can we be calm after all that?
[Putin] Of course, security issues are one of the most important for any state, and especially for our. Providing safety of its citizens is a top priority for the state. But we must be honest and realize what is taking place. In actual fact, international terrorism entangled with religious extremism has declared a war on us having in mind to tear away significant territories from Russia. What's more, I am convinced that even this will not be the end. They will try to destabilize the situation in the Russian regions where Muslim population is living concisely. I say once again: we'll never allow it to happen.
One of their aims is to destabilize and undermine our society's unity, to intimidate the state and an ordinary citizen. By no means we should give up to such feelings. But we must see clearly the level of danger posed by these forces.
As for the Dubrovka tragedy, we know that about three million non-residents are staying in Moscow every day. The census has shown it. There is a huge flow of transport. I met [World War II] veterans, and State Duma deputies told me the same following their meetings with veterans. They also put the same question: how could we let the bandits go into the heart of the country, into Moscow? During the war we did not allow bandits and spies to operate in Moscow. But it was in wartime, the city was in a state of siege and certain rules were applied. The so-called Smersh - "Death to Spies" [Stalin's military counterintelligence] operated in the streets of Moscow, and anyone could be executed by a firing squad on the spot. It's clear that we can't use the same methods today, with such an influx of people to the capital. We need absolutely different means and forces. We must prevent such events on an early stage, at the moment when they are being planned. To be frank, we must have information sources in this negative environment. Of course, here in our country, as in many other countries, no-one ever tackled this in a systemic way. We all targeted our main resources at the confrontation amongst ourselves: the Soviet Union against the USA, the USA against the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact against NATO, NATO against the Warsaw Pact. And, in today's negative environment, we don't have the required quantity of information sources. The information is imprecise and unclear, and so, for this very reason, we are uniting with other countries in the world in an antiterrorist coalition, in order to help each other confront these threats. And we will step up these efforts. And, of course, the issue of guaranteeing security will be our cornerstone. That is one of the state's priorities.
[Brilev] Thank you, Dubna, in Moscow Region. We're quietly creeping up towards the third hour of our broadcast, and to the far west of our country. ---- [Andreyeva] And so our programme - direct link to the Russian President Vladimir Putin - is over. Once again, we should like to thank all those who called us. Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for agreeing to take part in the programme.
[Brilev] Happy New Year!
[Andreyeva] We wish you happiness and good luck!
[Putin] Thank you for your help, your support and for our working together.
[Both presenters] Thank you.