Notes on Meeting with President Putin
Catherine Hall, The Kremlin
September 5, 2005
By David Johnson
(These are informal, incomplete, and unreliable notes based completely on the onrushing English interpretation coming thru earphones. The notes are particularly incomplete towards the end. I distribute this with great reluctance. In fact, this is so inadequate as a record of this important meeting that perhaps it will provoke a complete transcript from Putin's press staff. I was anticipating the availability of a real transcript so did not take good notes this year.)
Meeting took place from about 5:35 pm to 7:55pm Present were 40 foreign participants in the Valdai conference and three Russians in addition to President Putin (Sergei Karaganov, Irina Demchenko of RIA Novosti, and Putin’s press secretary Alexei Gromov). 27 guests asked questions. Putin shook hands with everyone both before and after the meeting. A group photo was taken with Putin.
Putin: Delighted to welcome you. It was a great pleasure listening to you last year. People with a personal interest in Russia. Thank you for your interest in my country. I just finished a very important meeting with members of Parliament re the budget. A few proposals on economic, social, and welfare issues. Can talk more about this later. An extension of our policies of recent years. We have good opportunities. International economy, growth of GDP. I will pass the floor to you.
Alexander Rahr: You are going to Germany. Energy alliance. Are you satisfied with cooperation on this?
Putin: On the whole satisfied re Western European consumers of energy. Liquefied gas goes to the US. Cooperation with the US on Sakhalin. Trying to create an atmosphere of stability re European markets. Some problems. Revolutionary movement in Ukraine led to problems re transmission of gas to Germany. Consortium to build a new gas distribution network. Ukraine lacking funds. Expanding gas thru Turkey. Black Sea seabed. Far East pipeline to the Pacific coast. Up north tankers for North America. Baltic seabed pipeline. Polish concerns. This should stay out of politics. The more transit countries the more the political risk and cost. Will diversify. Visiting Berlin to consolidate achievements.
Bobo Lo: Re diversification. Good relations with China but not so much with Japan and Korea. The future east Siberian pipeline. Route?
Putin: Re PRC, welcome positive developments. The Soviet Union had difficulties with China that damaged international relations. Nothing like that today. Border negotiations with China completed. An acceptable compromise reached. Military relationship, military orders. Russia is not first in arms sales. The US is. We are far behind them. Relations with Japan and Korea are not in the background. Past heritage of problems with Japan. 1956 declaration. Re pipeline. Oil and later gas. From Baikal to the Pacific. Capacity of 60-80 million tons per year. Pipeline to Skovorodino and to China, Daqing. Baikal-Amur railway. We want our gas and oil to go to a number of countries.
Ariel Cohen: Instability in Northern Caucasus. Problem of Iran. Iraq.
Putin: The 1999 assaulting of Dagestan. We had to respond. Progress. The local population staffs the police today in Chechnya. Parliamentary election coming. (DJ: Don’t have notes re what Putin said about Iran and Iraq)
Timothy Colton: Recent period characterized by stabilization and consolidation. But some Russians express concern about destabilization. Is that really possible?
Putin: We don’t have any reasons or prerequisites for destabilization. If we continue the policies of the past five years. We have economic and income growth, the grounds for stability. Strengthening of the middle class. Parties. Civil society. Economic basis for independent media. In 2008 I am leaving the Kremlin but not leaving Russia. That could be a factor for stability. Just had meeting with Kyrgyz leader. He said poverty and unemployment were the main reasons for unrest. Same in Ukraine. And corruption. We are only afraid of chaos in the former Soviet Union.
John Connor: My insurance company in Russia recently put out of business. Has fund investing in Russia that is doing very well. So-and-so forced us out. There are hundreds of small and medium size oil companies in the US.
Putin: The oil market is largely private. In the early 1990s the oil sector was given to oil oligarchs. Appointed billionaires. I am familiar with the American market. We will strive for this. Good to hear that it was a private person who pressured you out. (Smile)
Jim Hoagland: Louisiana disaster. Contact with Bush? Your thinking? And second, what about US withdrawing bases from Central Asia?
Putin: Simply awful. Cannot believe my eyes. No matter how strong we are we are weak vis-à-vis nature and God. One and a half million people there. Our condolences. We contacted our partner on the day of the disaster. To help. At my instruction. We received a list of needed medicines. We are all very vulnerable. Municipal services ceasing to exist. Need for federal coordination. Did not talk with George.
Re Central Asia, these are support airfields, not bases. They told us they are there only for operations in Afghanistan. We should not press on this. The situation in Afghanistan is improving. Central Asian countries wanting to make money on this. A bland, ordinary situation.
Jack Matlock: Re. US-Russia relations. Issues re meeting with Bush?
Putin: Iran. Iraq. Afghanistan. Non-proliferation issues. Energy. Bush came for the WWII event. He could have found an excuse not to come.
Marie Mednras: The federal system. More centralization. Appointment of governors. Will Russia still be a federal state?
Putin: Not exactly true that greater centralization. Rationalization. Some powers centralized. Some powers delegated to the regions. Health and education. But functions where there is no experience at the regional level. No funding. For example, in the Soviet Union all schools were funded from the central budget. The old system was destroyed but nothing put in its place. Need to provide funding for delegated responsibilities. Building a functional system.
Re. governors. Not appointing governors. Nominated governors. Took into account regional legislators. Decisions designed to have regional leaders sensitive to local issues and to federal needs. Yes, the federal principle.
Mark Bassin: The term Eurasia. Used by Nazarbayev.
Putin: A popular doctrine for many years. Interesting southern Urals archeological digs. The Zoroastrian religion emerged in the southern Urals. We go back to the same roots, all of us.
Stefan Wagstyl: Managed democracy. Described as authoritarian.
Putin: Democracy cannot be disconnected from the rule of law. All politicians are criticized for something. I am not authoritarian. Optimizing the fabric of our governing structure. We cannot copycat. Listening to criticism.
Jan Carnogursky: When are you going to capture Basayev?
Putin: The interview with him. Allegedly Radio Liberty journalist on vacation.
Toby Gati: The G8 meeting is coming. Europe-US importance next year.
Putin: [DJ: I did not get the response.]
Daniel Treisman: 2008. You are not leaving Russia. Your role after 2008?
Putin: I want my experience and knowledge to be used by the Russian people.
X.: The role of Western NGOs. Re destabilization. Active role of some western countries to destabilize countries?
Putin: I don’t think that any western countries are working exactly against Russia. But we want our opinions re the post-Soviet space listened to.
Alena Ledeneva: Corruption. What information do you have about this?
Putin: The root of corruption is in the system. There is corruption in other countries, of course. With 15 years in the KGB I have some information about this.
Robert Wareing: Border treaties with Latvia and Estonia. Problems. Can EU help?
Putin: We pushed for signing of agreements. Estonian parliament placed unacceptable measures. Can’t reshuffle everything. EU can help us.
Loris Marcucci: Views about moderate Arab forces who might help in isolating terrorists.
Putin: Russia has been a multi-religious state for many years. Has always been in touch with the Muslim world. Re Dagestan/Chechnya, people using this for political/economic goals. Oil.
Marshall Goldman: Yukos. What you said last year about not bankrupting Yukos. Concern about whether there will be other cases. New Kremlin oligarchs? Siloviki.
Putin: Now we can entertain ourselves. (smile) Yukos is not bankrupt. Production growing for Yukos. It is not serious re new oligarchs. State owning stock in companies.
Nikolai Zlobin: 2008 election. Possible changes in constitution. Third term.
Putin: A recommendation?
Zlobin: Seeking a legal way to stay in power. People talk about this.
Putin: No, I am not going to run for president in 2008. Maintaining stability is most important. Will not amend the constitution. The desire to stay in power by some is normal.
Y.: Oil prices. A large budget surplus. What to do with the money?
Putin: Eight months ago the president of Poland visited. Talked about $80 oil . Now even more. There are inflation dangers.
Z.: Demographic problems. 25 million Russian abroad.
Putin: We made decisions today re supporting the healthcare system.
Jonathan Steele: EU summit in a month. Are you suspicious re the EU? Re Ukraine, was your visit there a mistake?
Putin: No, of course not suspicious. No cooling of relations re EU. Ukraine changed constitution three times. No Russian empire. It is impossible!
Eric Hoesli: The Caucasus.
Putin: Have you been there?
Hoesli: Yes. The report by your representative.
Putin: (some confusion about which report.) I get so many reports. Go crazy if I read all of them. Kozak.
Clifford Gaddy: Oil and gas. Importance of insuring the future viability of this sector.Your dissertation re this subject. Ten years ago. Idea of giant energy conglomerates.
Putin: [DJ: Did not get the response.]
David Holloway: Nuclear nonproliferation issues today. Crisis re this?
Putin: North Korea and Iran. Nothing new re this.
A.: Elections can be disruptive. German election.
Putin: Trip to Germany to consolidate energy agreements. Northern European gas pipeline. Reason for the trip.
Michael Binyon: The role of religion in Russia.
Putin: There was one state religion, faith in communism. The moral code of the founder of communism, not a bad moral code. We are providing assistance to religions. Dozens of new mosques built. Largest synagogue in eastern Europe is in Moscow. Commemoration of the holocaust. We may have a holocaust museum.
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