Well, not quite, but he did answer questions from Chechnya on his big, live "call in and ask the president a question" show last week. English translation of exerpt below. I must say that these shows are brilliant from a PR point of view.
President’s Live Television and Radio Dialogue with the Nation
September 27, 2005 The Kremlin, Moscow
YEKATERINA ANDREYEVA: Hello. This is the Direct Line with President of Russia Vladimir Putin – a special programme broadcast by Channel One and television channel Rossia.
SERGEI BRILYOV: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin].
YEKATERINA ANDREYEVA: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon.
(enormous snip of text)
SERGEI BRILYOV: I propose that we leave the call centre now because we have the opportunity to pick up on this subject, as it were, as we now have a very interesting location ready to go live.
YEKATERINA ANDREYEVA: Let’s cross now to the Republic of Chechnya and its capital, Grozny.
Our correspondent Maxim Kiselyov is working in Grozny. Maxim, go ahead, we are waiting for questions for the President.
MAXIM KISELYOV: Hello. Greetings from Grozny. So as not to lose any time, let’s go straight to the questions. I think there are plenty of questions.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon.
MAXIM KISELYOV: Please introduce yourself and ask your question.
ZAINAB DZHAMBEKOVA: Hello, Mr President.
I am Zainab Dzhambekova. My question is, when will the abduction of people end in Chechnya? My son was abducted four years ago and nothing is known about his fate since then. There are thousands of women in Chechnya in the same situation as me.
And one more question, will anyone bear the responsibility for this?
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Your question is a very serious one and it has been coming up all the time at every level over the last years.
We all realise where the problem lies – it lies with not being able to fully resolve the security issue and ensure security for all. I think you will agree with me that sometimes it is impossible to even identify just who is behind these crimes: is it bandits in disguise or is it law enforcement officers abusing their powers? Whatever the case, we will continue our efforts to find the people who have been abducted and to identify those responsible for these crimes.
You know, dozens of criminal cases have been opened against officials and servicemen from the federal forces, with the involvement of the local law enforcement agencies. But the main solution to the problem is to achieve political settlement in Chechnya and to involve the greatest number of people possible in this settlement process.
You know that law enforcement agencies have been set up in Chechnya itself, agencies that are staffed entirely by local people, by the Chechens themselves. This is one point.
And a second point, I place a great importance on the parliamentary election that will take place in Chechnya this November. I think that this election will bring to the fore people with all sorts of different political convictions so that all the disputed issues can be resolved in an open and civilised manner, through the political process and not through the use of force. In this respect, I very much hope for support, not only your support but that of everyone in Chechnya.
YEKATERINA ANDREYEVA: Let’s have another question from Grozny.
AMRAN DZHAMAYEV: My name is Dzhamayev, Amran Germanovich, and I am a People’s Artist.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon.
AMRAN DZHAMAYEV: Good afternoon.
Mr President, when you visited our republic, you compared the state of Grozny to the destruction at Stalingrad. Several years have gone by since then but the rebuilding of the city is taking place extremely slowly and it is very difficult to obtain compensation. I lost my apartment in 2,000 and since then I have been gathering documents, waiting my turn in corridors and facing humiliation. For several years now my family and I have been living in other people’s apartments. In speaking of my situation I am also speaking for thousands of other people facing the same suffering. When we will be able to receive compensation? When will the payments begin?
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: First, you say that compensation exists, and the money for it does exist and is provided for in the federal budget. How the compensation is actually paid depends on the authorities in the republic itself.
I must say, and this is an unusual phenomenon, but the original figure that the republic’s authorities stated as being eligible for compensation payments is rising all the time. Unfortunately, the federal authorities and the authorities in Chechnya itself have still not been able to put an exact figure on how many concrete people are entitled to these compensation payments. What I can say and what I can promise is that all of this money will be paid. I will speak again with the President of Chechnya and with the relevant organisations in Moscow and will give additional instructions for the money to be made available and for order to be brought to the payment procedures.
Regarding the rebuilding of Grozny in general, this is, of course, a problem that requires a complex solution. We need to ensure security, on the one hand, so that what is built is not then destroyed tomorrow, and we need to organise this work in the republic itself. As you know, unfortunately, it took a very long time to settle the question of transferring the construction management offices from Moscow to the Republic of Chechnya. Finally, with a bit of extra encouragement, shall we say, this issue was finally settled and the authorities in Chechnya are now organising the work locally. I hope that this will help improve the situation. The necessary funding will be made available for this purpose.
YEKATERINA ANDREYEVA: Maxim, let’s have another question from Grozny.
MAXIM KISELYOV: Let’s take one from this side, from someone younger. The young people also have their questions, I’m sure.
AISHAT VASHAYEVA: Good afternoon, Vladimir Vladimirovich.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon.
AISHAT VASHAYEVA: My name is Aishat Vashayeva and I am a fourth-year student at the Chechnya State University.
As you know, our republic has the highest unemployment rate in Russia and a great many people of working age are without jobs here. Many young people graduate from our higher educational establishments every year but find no demand for their skills. To give you a small example, of 170 students who graduated with distinction from the Chechnya State University, only seven found jobs in Chechnya itself. As for finding work in other parts of Russia, this is virtually impossible for Chechens because of the negative image people have of us.
Vladimir Vladimirovich, what are the federal authorities doing to bring down the unemployment rate in the republic and to change the negative attitude towards Chechens as a people.
Thank you.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: I already said that Chechnya, unfortunately, has the highest unemployment rate in Russia. I think there is no need to explain that this situation is due to the difficult events of the last 15 years. It is true that there are more than 500 people competing for every one job. This is an absolutely unacceptable situation but the only way to change it is to expand Chechnya’s own economic opportunities and create new businesses. This process is underway, it must be said. I am afraid of making a mistake in the figures, but the number of people with jobs in Chechnya is rising all the time. We need to provide help, of course, to the agriculture sector, to the oil and gas industry and also help the development of Chechnya’s traditional businesses such as brick and stone plants and also develop high-technology businesses, because young people such as yourself who have received a good education need to have the opportunity of making use of your knowledge in your home region, and you should be able to do so.
As for the image the Chechens have in the country in general, this is also linked to the difficult events that I have mentioned, but I think this is a distorted image, distorted by the influence of events from the last years. Why is it distorted? Because few people know about the heroes in Chechnya who gave their lives to defend the interests of their own people and of all the people of Russia, the interests of Russia itself. There are many examples of such heroes but, unfortunately, little is said about them. I hope that we will be able to learn more about the lives and the feats of these people and gain a knowledge of greater depth and breadth. I hope that this will change the image of the Chechens in the Russian Federation. Of course, this will require the state media to also make an effort.
YEKATERINA ANDREYEVA: Thank you, Maxim. Thank you to all the people of Grozny who took part today in the Direct Line with the President.
http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/speeches/2005/09/27/1955_type82912type82916type82917_94321.shtml
(another enormous snip of text)
Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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