#6
Ex-Russian president says Putin has vindicated his choice of successor
Interfax

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 29 December: Boris Yeltsin, the first Russian president, regards Vladimir Putin as "an honest, pure, democratically-minded person with morality at his core".

Yeltsin said that he chose Putin as his successor in 1999 "after long thought and analysis," but even then he was sure that Putin "would lead the country along the planned road, and continue fighting for democratic achievements further and further."

"I was convinced [of that] then and remain convinced, and in these two years my confidence has only grown," he said in an interview with the programme Zerkalo shown in the Russian Far East on Saturday [29 December].

In Yeltsin's opinion, Putin is continuing his policy of rapprochement with the West. "The rapprochement under Putin is even greater. This makes me happy. I welcome it. It is the right way," he said. "Without severing our relations with China, with the East, [we should] be friends with the West so that the slightest differences remaining from the Cold War will finally be settled," he said.

"Many people started seeing clearly after 11 September and know from where the main threat comes," he said. "The evil empire, as it was called, is not the main threat. No. World terrorism is the main threat. A joint struggle is being conducted against it," he said. He said he was greatly worried that "Russia would be dragged into a direct war, in Afghanistan in particular. This should by no means happen."

"Putin is pursuing such a line with the support of the entire nation," Yeltsin said.

He said he meets with Putin "approximately once a month" and has frank one-on-one conversations. Yeltsin said that in order to live up to these meetings, he closely follows developments in Russia and on the world scene, and frankly tells Putin what he thinks. "Our opinions don't always coincide and that is natural. A new leader, new thinking. Of course, he can have a different outlook, I respect that," Yeltsin said.

However, according to Yeltsin, they never argue; rather, they have "discussions, conversations".

"We may disagree on personnel matters, on appointments, some other problems. I think this is my responsibility as the first president, my conscience. I should speak to him of this and I do," he added.

In Yeltsin's opinion, in two years, Putin has achieved political and economic stability in Russia and is continuing the transition to market relations. He said he likes the way Putin communicates with the public. "The recent live TV contacts indicated how well Russians responded to this hotline of the president with the people," he said.

Putin is now "a developed leader, a statesman. It is not without reason that he is respected here and in the world. I also respect him," Yeltsin said.