Putin in warning to West
Source: Agencies |
November 28, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sternly warned the West not to interfere in Russia's elections as he formally launched his campaign to reclaim the presidency yesterday.
Putin stepped down in 2008 after two presidential terms. He announced in September he intended to return to the top job next year and yesterday was formally nominated by his United Russia party.
"All our foreign partners need to understand this: Russia is a democratic country, it's a reliable and predictable partner with which they can and must reach agreement but on which they cannot impose anything from the outside," Putin told thousands of flag-waving supporters.
Putin decided to swap jobs with President Dmitry Medvedev after the presidential vote in March, presented as a done deal at the party congress in September.
Putin promised Russians stability, a word he repeated often throughout his speech. In countering criticism that he has tightened his control at the "expense of democracy," Putin insisted that Russia needs a stable political system to guarantee stable development for decades to come.
"This is an extremely important task for Russia with its history of upheavals and revolutions," he said.
He lashed out at opposition leaders, saying they had brought the country to ruin when they served in the government in the 1990s.
"They killed industry, agriculture and the social sphere," he said. "They stabbed the knife of civil war in the very heart of Russia by allowing bloodshed in the North Caucasus. In fact, they led the country to the brink of catastrophe, the edge of a precipice."
He said Russia wants to develop cooperation with the West, but strongly warned the United States and Europe against paying too much attention to the Kremlin's critics and providing them with financial support.
"We know that ... representatives of some countries meet with those whom they pay money, the so-called grant receivers, give them instructions and guidance for what 'work' they need to do to influence the election campaign in our country," Putin said. "That's a wasted effort, like throwing money to the winds."
He said those who provide grants to Russian non-governmental organizations "would do better using this money to pay back their domestic debt and stop conducting such a costly and inefficient foreign policy."
Putin promised his countrymen that by maintaining a steady course they would build "a strong, rich and prosperous Russia."
Offering something for everyone, he pledged to make it easier to do business, to improve education and health care, to raise taxes on the rich and to bolster the military.
Putin also said he would pursue his project of forming a Eurasian Union to boost integration between Russia and its neighbors, restoring links that were destroyed when the Soviet Union collapsed 20 years ago.
Putin stepped down in 2008 after two presidential terms. He announced in September he intended to return to the top job next year and yesterday was formally nominated by his United Russia party.
"All our foreign partners need to understand this: Russia is a democratic country, it's a reliable and predictable partner with which they can and must reach agreement but on which they cannot impose anything from the outside," Putin told thousands of flag-waving supporters.
Putin decided to swap jobs with President Dmitry Medvedev after the presidential vote in March, presented as a done deal at the party congress in September.
Putin promised Russians stability, a word he repeated often throughout his speech. In countering criticism that he has tightened his control at the "expense of democracy," Putin insisted that Russia needs a stable political system to guarantee stable development for decades to come.
"This is an extremely important task for Russia with its history of upheavals and revolutions," he said.
He lashed out at opposition leaders, saying they had brought the country to ruin when they served in the government in the 1990s.
"They killed industry, agriculture and the social sphere," he said. "They stabbed the knife of civil war in the very heart of Russia by allowing bloodshed in the North Caucasus. In fact, they led the country to the brink of catastrophe, the edge of a precipice."
He said Russia wants to develop cooperation with the West, but strongly warned the United States and Europe against paying too much attention to the Kremlin's critics and providing them with financial support.
"We know that ... representatives of some countries meet with those whom they pay money, the so-called grant receivers, give them instructions and guidance for what 'work' they need to do to influence the election campaign in our country," Putin said. "That's a wasted effort, like throwing money to the winds."
He said those who provide grants to Russian non-governmental organizations "would do better using this money to pay back their domestic debt and stop conducting such a costly and inefficient foreign policy."
Putin promised his countrymen that by maintaining a steady course they would build "a strong, rich and prosperous Russia."
Offering something for everyone, he pledged to make it easier to do business, to improve education and health care, to raise taxes on the rich and to bolster the military.
Putin also said he would pursue his project of forming a Eurasian Union to boost integration between Russia and its neighbors, restoring links that were destroyed when the Soviet Union collapsed 20 years ago.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
