Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the head of VGTRK on the company's fifteenth anniversary.
Photo: Dmitry Azarov
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Russian President Wines and Dines TV People
Russian President Vladimir Putin met journalists of the All-Russian State Broadcasting Company [the Russian abbreviation is VGTRK] Saturday to congratulate them on the company’s 15th anniversary. He also spoke about abuse of power, the presidential successor and Russian-U.S. relations. Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov was among guests at the dinner.
Twenty-one employees of VGTRK flew to Sochi to met Vladimir Putin at his residence in Bocharov Ruchey on Saturday. The president congratulated them on the anniversary and said that the TV channel’s programs are crucially important for this country which is “now at the turning point in its development.”
Oleg Dobrodeev, the company’s head, announced the channel’s plans to set up a news channel, while his colleague, TV host Dmitry Kiselev asked the president about his address to the Federal Assembly. Vladimir Putin mentioned the keynote of his address: “I think I have found the issue that can really unite the nation. Everyone is aware of this threat – the demographic decline.”
Trud’s correspondent asked about the president’s successor and Putin was quite blunt. “I have been thinking about it since 1999, or since 2000, right after the presidential election. I am still thinking. I have an idea how the situation in this country could be built in this period… In general, everyone – business and ordinary people – appreciate the current situation. …Both business and people are thinking about 2008. I am aware of it, so I don’t think I have the right to say: ‘Guys, I have done my term, so long!’ It won’t happen. I will be responsible about performing my duty up to the last minute of my presidency.” Putin, however, said that he would not recommend anyone but he thinks he has “the right to express my opinion on this or that candidate. I am a Russian citizen and I have the right for my opinion, and I will do use it.”
Asked about U.S.-Russian relations, Putin emphasized that Russia would “champion its own interests” and maintain partnership with the United States. “We want to live well together and be friends with them,” he said.
The Russian president also breached upon the Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute. “Our decision on raising gas prices of Ukraine is first of all an economic one…” Vladimir Putin described his meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and then Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko who spoke about their ambitions economic plans. “These are your decisions. But why do we have to pay for the decisions that we consider erroneous in terms of policies and economics?” the president referred to Ukraine’s policy. “Why do we have to pay?”
Vladimir Putin finished the meeting with the journalists by paying compliments for diversity and talents of the press.
Andrey Kolesnikov
All the Article in Russian as of May 15, 2006
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