“All will be well”. The key statements from the final interview Medvedev - FreeNews English

Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev gave an interview to leading TV channels of the country. In it he summed up the outgoing year and shared his prediction on the next.

MOSCOW, 9 Dec. The Chairman of the government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev in interview to the Russian TV channels responded to questions concerning the economic situation in the country, relations with Turkey, the Ukrainian national debt and other topics.

On anti-recessionary measures

“If we talk about my grades, I can say that the anti-crisis plan worked. He allowed us to endure the most difficult period this year. And almost all areas that we have identified as most important, this plan has brought result.” “Our task was to stop the decline in production to stop the decline of the economy. So now on the basis of the data available to the government, Ministry of economic development, I can say that the decline of the economy and the decline in production halted. And we believe that next year we will grow,”
“We now understand the internal resources of the Russian economy. Our economy, and it’s a medical fact that have proven their self-sufficiency. Let’s face it — not every country has a self-sufficient economy. Some countries are not able to live without outside assistance. But our country will live and develop even in these conditions. Although this is not good”.
“The task of the Ministry of Finance, to a certain extent, to whip up fears and exaggerate. I directly say it. Why? Because if not, the Ministry of Finance does, then no one else will. The Ministry of Finance is the final frontier, so any Minister of Finance, whatever was his name, he is obliged always to dramatize the situation. And it is right.”

About the ruble and oil

“Of course, oil prices are not encouraging. They may be the lowest in 17 years. <…> I want, however, to say that we have oil prices really in this sense are now at the lowest level. So it seems to me that after all and the quotes of the ruble now because of it slid down. And it is unlikely, if there will be some rebound on oil prices, so these quotes will remain at current levels”.
“Indeed, the ruble has moved to a whole new state, he is now swimming freely. And that’s good because now no one dictates how the ruble to be. Once dictated, this means that a “phony deal”, but if it’s “inflated rate”, at any moment he could collapse. Therefore, the rouble floats. But something to hide, it is very much tied up under the oil revenues and very much tied up under the oil price”.
“What we (reserve Fund — ed.) was created? We were created for in such a situation as now, to spend these funds”.
On defense spending
“We are really in a period of time agreed to increase defense spending, it is. This was almost five years ago. And I believe that we have not miscalculated, and that we did it absolutely correctly, because by that time, unfortunately, the state of our military equipment, and the actual state of the armed forces, was considerably below requirements. Now we’ve brought these costs to the world level”.
“The use of the Russian Armed forces (in Syria — ed.) is placed fully in the budget of the Ministry of defence”. “They asked for increased spending on defence.”
“Despite somehow existing in the position or even the myth of some that we have social costs fall, the costs of weapons grow, it’s our social spending they are stable, and they don’t fall. Another thing is that if we allowed conditions, circumstances, maybe we would have stepped up for this opportunity now. But I want to emphasize: education, and health priorities remain the same and expenses remain the same as this year”.

On pensions

“Yes, this is also a necessary measure (freezing of the cumulative part of pensions — ed.) this is not a good life, this is due to two factors. Point number one: first we had to prepare themselves pension structures that are involved in running the relevant part of the savings, is that these same pension funds that they went, as they say, the insurance system, to be transparent, understandable to the crooks there was less there, unfortunately, they were enough. The second reason is a purely financial reason: really need money for development is approximately 345 billion rubles, which we can use.”
“While no decisions (about raising the retirement age — ed.) is not accepted. An ongoing debate. Its meaning is when it is advisable to retire from the standpoint of the individual and the interests of the state”.

About meditsinskoi help

“Holy, nobody attempts (of free medical assistance — ed.). Who will encroach on the hands will give in other parts of the body”. “Of course, we need to understand how the money was being spent. Therefore, the regulation should be mandatory. After all, free for person help, it is only at first glance free. Naturally, it is formed from what is called “national wealth”, taxes, deductions, paid by all physical and legal persons. And it should properly be spent in this part of the budget. Therefore, we introduced guarantees of free medical care”.

On taxes

“I think that 13% tax, which we introduced in 2000, is what we can be, managed at 100 percent. I mean, we, as authorities, which has existed since 2000… After upgrading to 13 percent, all taxes are paid — it is more profitable to pay than not to pay. Why would we want to cut the goose that lays the Golden eggs?”.
“Question of the readiness of our society to progressive taxation and the willingness of our tax system”.
“At the moment the decision was made — it was supported by the President — that we in the coming years, the tax system do not touch in General, and income tax of 13% not touch in particular.”

About civil servants

“The cost of the state apparatus we have inflated”.
“Look, we have public servants are resting more than other categories of the population, let us honestly say that we have a more hazardous job? The work is hard, but consider that there is any special specificity, and civil servants must rest, for example, more than other state employees, well I don’t see such specifics”.
“We decided to cut vacation, perhaps some of my fellow civil servants we thank you for it is not said, but actually, this is true, I believe that it is right.”
“Let’s face it: our officials are accustomed to go to the more expensive cars than do officials in other countries. I don’t think it’s right. If you have the income, buy a personal car and ride out his pleasure, but the state machine must be the normal middle class, but not exclusive line”.
“I believe that the region needs to be honest to admit its citizens, well, that is regional leaders. If they believe they have a brilliant leader in the region — need to come out and honestly say “we want him to leave life-long maintenance, car, cottage,” and let them (the citizens) will react to it. If they say “Yes, we believe he has done a lot” — let it remain. But, if people are against it, then such benefits should be reduced. Because of these benefits, of course, go through the budget”.

About Ukrainian debt and IMF

“As for these three billion. Of course, we won’t accept. We will go to court and will pursue default on all debt of Ukraine, but where to go?”.
“They say that hope dies last, but if you want my opinion, I have a feeling that will not return, because rogues. They refused to return the money, and our Western partners, we not only do not help, but hinder it.” “If the two governments agree, it’s obviously a sovereign loan, never in the history of the IMF, in the history of international economic relations is not questioned. It is surprising that international financial institutions have begun to say that it seems not quite sovereign loan. It’s bullshit. This is obviously a blatant, cynical lie. Sovereign loan.
“The international monetary Fund, despite the fact that should represent the interests of creditor States and of the States of the borrowers, for the first time in its history did anything to contribute to the economic development of the state of the borrower (Ukraine) only for political reasons. Thus the IMF undermines its own credibility. All this is due to the fact that the international financial system is unfair. The Bretton Woods agreement no longer work — quotas are not reallocated. If we in the near future this system is not reform, it will undermine trust”.
“This seriously undermines the credibility of the decisions that are made by the IMF. I think that now the IMF flow of requests from various States borrowers with a request to grant them the same conditions as Ukraine. As the IMF in this case would be to refuse them?”.

About “energy blockade” of the Crimea

“Whatever may be said of the Ukrainian governors, what happened with the light is nothing short of a genocide. It’s quite boorish, is “freezed”, as they say, the position when the social institutions of the people, by the way, the Ukrainian government was revered for its own, saying “Yes our people there, and actually Crimea should return,” so they were cut off from their energy supply”. “Well how is it called? Ugly just, differently not to name”.
“Naturally, we are prepared, frankly, and pre-cooked and gasoline, and a backup power system. So there is collapse did not happen, and even in the most intense period of power supply to health care institutions, social service was provided”, — Medvedev said on Wednesday in an interview with Russian Federal TV.

About the relations with Turkey

“The introduction of counter-sanctions in varying degrees, affect the situation with prices may not be fatal, because, we have somehow forgotten, but we have food inflation in early 2008 was 13%, and in early 2015 she is about the same. That is, we this period has passed”.
“If prices rise, then it is only as a result of price collusion, and here hands have to beat the authorities and law enforcement structures. We will monitor the situation, including Antimonopoly service specifically pointed.”
“For Turkey, well, we understand what happened, it’s not sanctions in the true sense of the word. This is, in fact, a defensive reaction of our state. After it was destroyed, our aircraft, how in the twentieth century usually led by the state in such situation? The great Patriotic war started. Because this is a direct attack on a foreign state”, — Medvedev said in an interview with Russian TV channels”.”Of course, in the present life, in the current state, situation war is the worst that can be. That is why it was decided not to respond symmetrically to what was done by the Turks, and they, of course, violated all the norms of international law, did, in fact, an act of aggression against our country, given, as they say in the language of international legal casus belli, i.e., the basis for the commencement of hostilities. The Russian leadership, the President, didn’t go for it”.

On Association between Ukraine and the EU

“The chances that we will agree (the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the EU — ed), in my opinion, no, but we stubbornly, until the end of December we will try to arrange to walk this path to the end and to demonstrate that, if we agree to something, we all do.”
“If it is not, we will introduce a new trade regime with Ukraine and we will introduce special sanctions against Ukrainian food products, as, in fact, we promised to do in response to their sanctions. We did not do that again… to not exacerbate the problem of Ukraine, but we will have to agree to this unless they agree with us on free trade zone”.

A ban on flights

“What is the incidence of terrorism this year, the repetition of such terrorist attacks on airlines, unfortunately, very possible. Mean specific areas, first of all, directions to the middle East”. “These are two incommensurable values — life and the opportunity to relax”. “Anything good that closed the resorts of Egypt and Turkey is not. This is not the design of the government, not the evil will of the authorities, and question the safety of our citizens. Because choosing between safety and recreation, the government must make a choice in favor of security.”

Air carriers

“We need to develop competition in this area, because our country is too big. If our country was small, it would be possible even without such support measures do, but shipping from Vladivostok to Moscow are huge money, just the distance is great and we can’t do shorter, kerosene is still worth the money. So we need to develop alternative routes, is necessary to develop economy-class transportation, we need to develop the benefits different routes, what we did the last years. We will definitely continue”.

Report on FBK

“The prosecution may present, in our country, only the law enforcement system, only in the manner prescribed by law. And in relation to any kind of publications, you know how they occur and how. And not always it is the result of an objective investigation. It is the result of objective
activities of any persons, it often has custom-made character <…> moreover, it is always part of the political struggle.”
“The authorities on any episode, in any case are required simply to analyse a set of facts. I will not be anything to assess precisely because I consider it unacceptable with the level of the Prime Minister or some other high level to assess certain law enforcement circumstances, or those circumstances or that”.
“If nobody says nothing, it does not mean that reaction (authorities) no. The response need not be instantaneous, power on any episode, in any case, I mean law-enforcement structures are obliged simply to analyse a set of facts.”
“It (the question of indicating in the declarations on incomes of officials, their adult children — ed.) to discuss, but I’m not sure that this corresponds, by and large, the modern approach, because the situation may be different: there may be situations when people communicate, and can be… people may not even communicate, well, just so the life is arranged, and what now, after this you have to shake out all that do adult children of public servants, even if they don’t communicate or live in other countries? It’s just technologically very difficult task, but you can consider this question”.

About the system “Platon”

“Indeed, these decisions still had to be verified from an economic and from a technological point of view. So there were mistakes, but not fatal — they are all fixed. That’s why 700 thousand people already in it is Really registered, fines may have been somewhat inflated, and therefore, on the proposal of the government, state Duma and the Federation Council have their decoratively”.

Contacts with other States

“From the time of Peter’s “window” to Europe “was hacked”, it is not closed. But that does not mean we have trash to haul out. We should naturally pursue its own interests, national interests, based on their pragmatic position. But isolation, failure to communicate with foreign countries we sure don’t”.