В.Путин.Интернет-конференция.06.03.01 Part 6

President Putins Internet Conference.Part 6
March 6,2001
Moscow.

Интернет-конференция Президента России
6 марта 2001 года
Москва.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: First, I would like to say that it has been a very intense year. It was a hard-working year. We have worked with utter dedication, I have to say. We have moved forward in practically all these directions. Perhaps in some areas more could have been done. But there has been progress in practically all these areas. On the whole, I am satisfied with the results of our work this year.

H. ACKERMAN (London): I am concerned that it looks as if you, Mr President, are trying to suppress reasonable criticism of your Government and its actions. Are my fears justified?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: That was a feisty question asked by one of our correspondents. Not very tolerant. Nevertheless I will try to answer it as I see it. You know that during the past decade this country has witnessed many positive and destructive processes, and some of these destructive processes were driven by a small group of individuals who had appropriated, not always legitimately, entire sectors of the economy and the political structure to further their economic ends. In a sense, government structures and the media had been privatised.

We will develop political processes in a way that is traditional for Western democracies, and I would like to stress that. But it does not mean that anarchy and permissiveness should hold sway in Russia. Some people inside the country and abroad dont like our attempts to put our house in order in that sense. I am not claiming that we are succeeding in everything we do. Perhaps we have made some mistakes, but they dont like the very fact that we are trying to get the whole country to live according to the law. I suspect that there are people who would like to live according to former rules and fish in troubled waters. But that is just not on. And equally, we will not destroy democratic structures and institutions and act outside the law. That would be not only counterproductive but would run counter to the whole philosophy of what we are trying to do in this country. I would like to assure you that Russia has become a democratic country and will do everything to stay the course and develop in that direction.

V. MALKIN (Strana.ru, Moscow): Our interview has come to an end. In conclusion, I would like to thank you for your frank answers to the tricky questions asked by our readers. Thank you.

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