Guest
Excerpts from an Interview with the Chief Editors of the Newspapers Komsomolskaya Pravda, Izvestia, Moskovsky Komsomolets and 7 March 22,2001. Moscow. Интервью главным редакторам газет «Комсомольская правда», «Известия», «Московский комсомолец», «Труд» 22 марта 2001 года. Москва. VLADIMIR PUTIN: The Federation Council is the upper house and the upper house has certain functions under the law. While until recently the majority of the Federation Council members worked there only from time to time while simultaneously discharging their massive and complicated functions of governing their regions, today the Federation Council is turning professional. I think that is sure to improve the performance of the Federation Council as a law-making body. I am sure that the decision to create seven federal districts was sound and is yielding positive results. I have said several times that their task is not to administer the regions but to regulate and coordinate the actions of federal and local government bodies. Now, together with the regional leaders, they have to tackle another and equally important task, namely, delimitation of the powers between the federal and regional governments. So there can be no talk about a diminished role of the Federation Council because its prerogatives are sealed in the law. As for regional heads, you know that a State Council has been set up to bring them in touch with the problems at the federal centre. In my opinion, it is doing its proper job as a body for strategic planning.I find it quite helpful in my work. It is a kind of purgatory for the Government and a sifter that helps to take balanced decisions at the government level. The whole system of government and administrative bodies is becoming more effective. : We journalists know that the question I am about to ask you now always makes your eyes steely. It is Chechnya. You have been in office for a year and the second year is beginning. How do you see the prospects for resolving the Chechen problem? VLADIMIR PUTIN: If we recall the period after the Second World War, do you remember when the last of the forest brothers were done away with? : They were active until 19541956. VLADIMIR PUTIN: And that under a totalitarian regime, with sealed borders and on flat terrain. Today, of course, the situation is much more complicated, we must be realistic. What has been accomplished so far? The major bands of militants have been destroyed, that is a fact. They are unable to resist the Russian Armed Forces in an organized way. That is a control the whole territory of the Republic. That is also a fact. I think it is hard to imagine a large-scale invasion being launched from Chechnya into neighbouring territories. All these are necessary but absolutely insufficient conditions for a final solution of the issue. What is the solution? We agree with those who believe that the solution can only be political and it can only be done by the Chechens themselves. I know that the overwhelming majority of the population wants know, Russias main task is to prevent that territory from being used as a bridgehead to destabilize the Russian Federation and attack neighbouring territories. And that is exactly what happened when we left Chechnya. We know the forces that filled the vacuum. They were radicals of various persuasions: national and see exactly the same thing in Kosovo. And the situation on the border of Kosovo and Macedonia is developing under the same dramatic scenario. Already heavy weapons are being used there, and you remember that this was what we were criticized for. The same thing is happening there. And we have warned about it.
