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[Second Issue of the Day]
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Former Russian president comments on domestic, foreign
policy issues
Interfax
Moscow, 30 October: Now is not the right time to amend Russia's constitution, which strikes a good balance between the powers of various authorities, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin said at a meeting with his former aides and speechwriters [on 23 October].
His remarks were quoted by his former press secretary Vyacheslav Kostikov in Argumenty i Fakty newspaper on Tuesday [30 October].
The Americans are now looking for a second country to punish, Yeltsin said, speaking about the antiterrorist operation in Afghanistan. "But terrorism is here for a long time. What the Americans do in Afghanistan will only bring the Islamic world closer together. I do not envy [US President George W.] Bush," he said.
On the other hand, Yeltsin said that the Russian leadership's decision to support the United States is a correct one. "The country should stage a rapprochement with the United States, but should by no means enter Afghanistan," he said.
Asked whether he and Vladimir Putin had discussed Afghanistan, Yeltsin said that the president is an independently-minded statesman. "However, I am always prepared to advise him, especially because foreign policy is a new field for him. In particular, dealing with the G-8 group is not easy. They only seem to be soft," he said.
Putin visits him about once a month, Yeltsin said. Putin acts on his advice sometimes, but not always, he said. Yeltsin would now suggest that Putin travel to Tatarstan, go to a mosque and talk to the people, he said.
Yeltsin described Putin as a cool pragmatist, "which might be good for a political figure". "Now he is engaged in selecting a good team that will measure up to new tasks, but he seems to be short of options in decision-making. On the other hand, Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] seems to learn fast," he said.
The decision to salvage the Kursk submarine was a right one, Yeltsin said. "This is a symbol. The country, the people needed this. The country's abilities were demonstrated," he said.
Yeltsin shares the Russian leadership's position on Georgia. "I was saying in Istanbul back in the autumn of 1999 that there were terrorist bases and camps in Georgia. They were also in Turkey and in Pakistan. This was seen from our satellites," he said.
Yeltsin said that he had managed to restrain Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, but now the man "has let himself go".
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