2 november 2011

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets in Kaliningrad with representatives of WWII veterans’ organisations, as well as retired military and law-enforcement servicemen

Vladimir Putin

At a meeting with representatives of WWII veterans’ organisations, as well as retired military and law-enforcement servicemen

Participants:
“Our primary task will be to significantly raise allowances and pensions to military personnel.”

Transcript:

Vladimir Putin:  Officers, friends, colleagues. Let me begin with some good news. Anatoly Adler (chairman of the Kaliningrad Association of Retired Servicemen of the Border Guard Service) is celebrating his birthday today. So accept best wishes from me and my colleagues. And here’s a birthday gift fit for a true officer (he hands over the gift).

I was shown some of Kaliningrad’s infrastructure and public sites earlier today. But a meeting with you was something I couldn’t let myself miss out on during my stay here. So thank you for giving me the chance.

I won’t dwell now on the importance of the layout and activities of various veteran organisations. I won’t speak of how important it really is for the state to maintain good relations with such organisations, as well as to support their members and cooperate with them in addressing national problems.

Let me just tell you about the government’s social policy priorities for the years ahead and then answer whatever questions you may have for me.

We’ll be providing support in a whole range of areas. Our primary task will be to significantly raise allowances and pensions for military personnel. As you know, pensions for non-military retirees have risen dramatically in recent years, with a 45% surge in 2009 alone. This has created a certain wealth gap, almost equating military and civilian pensions, and undermining the principle of social justice. As, indeed, more often than not, military men have to cope with harsh “working conditions” throughout their careers and even to put their lives at risk. I know this firsthand; I saw the Soviet military contingent withdraw from Germany, leaving many of their belongings behind. There’s little comfort for the lives of service personnel, and this should be compensated for with higher pensions.

As a result of that pension gap, we had some 15,000 retired officers apply for a non-military pension in 2009 and another 27,000 in 2010.  As I said, the amount of military pensions should be determined by the recipient’s service record and by his or her contribution to the enhancement of Russia’s capabilities, defence or otherwise.  Both military allowances and pensions will be raised starting on January 1, 2012, as part of a welfare reform in the armed forces.

I’d like to emphasise that the reform will apply to all military pensioners, regardless of their institutional affiliation. These will include servicemen of law-enforcement agencies, military intelligence services, and the Defence Ministry. A related bill was passed by the Federation Council on October 26.

I’d like to call your attention to the fact that this is a rare example of the State Duma MPs speaking as one. The lower parliamentary house approved that bill in a unanimous vote. The planned raise will be a considerable one – no less than 50%. Necessary funds have been earmarked in the federal budgets for 2012 and subsequent years. Modern-day Russia has never seen such a large-scale military pension raise before.

Also, we plan to have the pensions regularly adjusted to growing inflation. We expect such measures to really improve military pensioners’ living standards. We’ve earmarked a handsome sum for 2012. The total amount, to be used for allowance and pension increases alike, will be 1.5 trillion roubles. I know there are lots of questions as to how the new pension mechanism will work. Agencies in charge have already been assigned appropriate tasks and all the particulars will soon be elaborated in conformity with the law. And I’d like war veteran organisations to help us with timely informing all retired military personnel. Our pension increases are set for January 1, 2012.

Simultaneously with raising retirement pensions, we will provide support for certain categories of the retired military, first of all, to the disabled. Specifically, from January 1, 2012, people disabled as a result of a war injury will for the first time start receiving a monthly allowance in addition to the pension. It will total 14,000 roubles for the 1st disability group, 7,000 roubles for the 2nd and almost 3,000 roubles, or 2,800, to be more exact, for the 3rd disability group. Those serving under contract, if they retire due to disability, will receive a one-time payment of 2 million roubles regardless of their rank; a draftee retired for the same reason will receive 1 million. Why the difference? The legislators in the government proceeded from the assumption that a contractor is usually a grown person who has a family to support. If a tragedy happens and a serviceman dies on duty (unfortunately, this does happen in the military service), his family will receive a one-time payment of 3 million roubles.

I would also like to point out that in recent years we have significantly raised financial support for WWII veterans. The average monthly payment they receive now is about 23,000 roubles, and we will continue indexing it. I want to draw your attention, friends and colleagues, to the very fact that a WWII veteran receives 23,000 roubles on average, given that the average wage in the country is 22,500 roubles. So our war veterans receive even a little more than the average wage.

Importantly, as many as 185,000 veterans have had their housing conditions improved in the last four years. We will continue working to complete this task, to provide housing to all those who need it, together with regional authorities. We will definitely continue resolving housing problems of those who serve in the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies now and, of course, we will help those who retired without getting the housing they were entitled to and were put on municipal waiting lists where they felt like outcasts. To put it directly, no one gave a care about them, so municipal waiting lists didn’t move. Today, over 20,000 retired military are on municipal housing waiting lists. In order to resolve this pressing issue, we have reserved an additional 36 billion roubles within the Federal Targeted Programme Housing for 2012, and I hope very much that we will repay this housing debt to the former military before the end of 2012.

There is another very important and serious topic. The nature of the military and law enforcement service is such that people that have the right to retire are often still fairly young and active – they are in their prime, so to speak. Our task is to help them to get on their feet as civilians, to find a job, and not just any job, but an interesting job with good pay that is in line with their training. I know and you must know, too, that, oddly, this is not easy, because military education certificates often don’t give graduates the right to hold a civilian job corresponding to their qualification and education. Take sailors as an example: navy sailors with advanced degrees cannot work on civilian ships without additional training. There are other similar problems. We should provide conditions for the professional fulfilment of the retired military, and therefore we will expand the opportunities for their re-training and employment. Among other things, we are working on a possibility of introducing a system of state education registered certificates that will allow the retired military to receive training for a qualification of their choice at any of the country’s colleges.

Dear colleagues, our veteran organisations have always been and will always remain on duty, of that I am sure. The state has always leaned on such organisations, inasmuch as these are unions of patriotically-inclined people that are willing to serve their Fatherland. I hope very much that you will provide us with timely information on the problems that arise with the military and the retired military. You will help us to learn about these problems and suggest some solutions that you consider possible for the military, for veterans of the military and law enforcement structures. You will continue your work to educate the younger generation. I would like to tell you that the Government’s Coordinating Council for Veteran Affairs will hold its first meeting in a few days, that is, a week from now. We have discussed this with the veterans, I met with them last spring, we agreed to establish this coordinating council, and it has been created and will become functional. I think the Russian Popular Front can also be a highly important platform for discussing and tackling the most important problems. Mr Moiseyev is directly involved there, I’m very grateful to him for this, and I hope very much that this will also become an additional platform where we will be able to meet, to discuss problems, to listen to each other and to respond to the specific objectives facing us. This is what I wanted to say at the beginning. Let’s simply conduct a free discussion of those issues which I have raised, or other issues which you think should be discussed today. Please, you have the floor, Mr Kolesnik.

Andrei Kolesnik (Deputy Chairman of the Kaliningrad Regional Public Organisation of War Veterans, and Retired Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Servicemen): My name is Andrei Kolesnik, Secretary of the United Russia Party’s regional chapter and a veteran of the Navy’s special forces and tactics unit. You see, they have been trying to transfer children’s daycare centres owned by the Ministry of Defence to municipalities or the regions for the past three years. I think this is happening all over Russia, and not just in the Kaliningrad Region. But there is a problem here. The Defence Ministry’s daycare centres are not exactly daycare centres, but rather institutions that accept little children. If the facilities are transferred to municipalities or regions in their present condition, they will be shut down the very same day because they don’t meet any sanitary regulations and standards or fire-safety regulations … The head of any city who commissions such a daycare centre could be prosecuted at anytime. This is why I believe the federal authorities did not receive sufficiently objective reports over the past three years because the concerned parties had first tried to sell these daycare centres, and now they are being transferred free of charge. I suggest that the Ministry of Defence should bring these daycare centres, along with the relevant documents, into compliance with the required standards. Quite possibly, this might be accomplished with the help of other funding and budgetary allocations, rather than at the Defence Ministry’s expense. It therefore turns out that as soon as 23 daycare centres in the Kaliningrad Region, and a far greater number nationwide, are transferred to municipal entities or regions, educators and instructors working there will be laid off and children left to their own devices. I regret to say this, but it appears that you are the only person who can solve this national problem. This needs to be done as soon as possible.

May I raise another issue, which is a continuation of the first one? There is a wonderful sports and recreation centre in Baltiisk, which was built following your initiative. You are its founding father, so to speak. This is a bright spot in Baltiisk, which is a military community.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I conceived it, that’s right.

Andrei Kolesnik: Yes. This is a magnificent sports centre. Incidentally, one can only envy the younger generations who can use it. But this centre might be shut down and mothballed before December 20.

Vladimir Putin: Why?

Andrei Kolesnik: Seventy-one employees have received lay-off notices because the centre lacks funding, and because it is not listed in the Baltic Fleet’s current tables of organisation. Slavyanka does not want to accept it because it is subsidised. The relevant subsidies are not very impressive, and total just 60 million roubles per year. The centre earns about 16 million roubles. In all, this budget stipulates 32 million roubles, and the budget deficit is about 16 million roubles. This issue should be assessed and resolved in some way. Maybe, the Ministry of Defence should continue to finance the centre and reimburse it for this 16 million rouble sum, or, maybe, it should be transferred to the city budget. Either way, the city of Baltiisk will be unable to finance it. Maybe, the city should receive subsidies in the form of subventions.

Vladimir Putin: And who uses it? The sailors are supposed to use it.

Andrei Kolesnik: The sailors also use it. I have been to seven Baltiisk schools, whose entire staff and students train at the centre. The centre has sections for about 400 children. Sailors and other military personnel use the centre free of charge. As you know, Baltiisk’s population primarily comprises military personnel, retired officers and their families.

Vladimir Putin: And, of course, all these people are linked with the Ministry of Defence to varying degrees.

Andrei Kolesnik: Please have a look at this facility. Please allow me to show it to you. I had never seen such a facility in our time … People from Baltiisk, who talked with me, told me that this is a wonderful facility! And the problem rests with just 16 million roubles a year.

Vladimir Putin: I know. That’s why I conceived the Baltiisk project because I had initiated a similar project in the Kamchatka Peninsula some time before. We overhauled an entire base there after they scared me by saying they intended to shut it down. We have rebuilt it and built a similar sports facility there.

Andrei Kolesnik: This sum is not that much. We must try and resolve this issue somehow. At any rate, the centre should be listed in some organisational tables. Its future now remains unclear.

Vladimir Putin: I’m hearing about this for the first time, Mr Kolesnik. I will certainly talk to the minister. The Ministry of Defence is obviously trying to minimise its social spending, and this is not directly linked with its functions …

Andrei Kolesnik: This is understandable. Mr Putin, the Defence Ministry’s striving to get rid of non-core assets is absolutely correct because the armed forces must accomplish entirely different objectives. Nevertheless, such aspects of everyday life must be taken into account. At any rate, the federal authorities must be informed in due time, so as to avoid such blunders, as they say in the navy, because such a wonderful facility must not be allowed to be shut down in a month. Actually, this is a crucially important sports facility for Baltiisk.

Vladimir Putin: This is strange. I’ve never heard about this before. I will talk to the minister.

Andrei Kolesnik: Yes, that’s the way things are. I’ve repeatedly talked to military personnel in Baltiisk about this.

Vladimir Putin: I will talk to the minister, and we will think of how to help you.

Andrei Kolesnik: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Kolesnik, regarding children’s daycare centres, the situation is rather complicated in Kaliningrad and nationwide, as you have correctly noted. I’m aware of the situation because I have recently discussed the same issues in the Far East. To be honest, the situation is the same everywhere. This is also related to shedding non-core assets. We have just talked to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov in charge of social issues. Mr Zhukov has first-hand information on such matters. So what seems to be the problem? The problem is that the city authorities are unable to accept these facilities because they are often not even registered as such. To this, the minister of defence has a simple answer: If they are not registered with my ministry and don’t function inside my organisation, they should be transferred to the city administration as municipal property. In his opinion, the government and the Ministry of Defence should help restore them, make major repairs, etc.

Andrei Kolesnik: This takes time.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, this takes time. We will take another look, we will return to Moscow and think it over. Technically speaking, this option seems possible. Some regions are already doing this. We must check it out. At any rate, the minister of defence has just informed me about this. The municipal entity could receive it as its property. Municipalities could receive funding in order to repair these facilities, improve them and bring them into conformity with sanitary regulations and standards. Mr Nikolai Tsukanov, the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region, and I will discuss this by all means, just look at these …

Andrei Kolesnik: Twenty-three.

Vladimir Putin: In reality, the number is 25, rather than 23. To the best of my knowledge, they have transferred either two or one, and they are trying to transfer another one to municipal property.

Andrei Kolesnik: Yes, they have transferred one facility, that’s right.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, they are still trying to transfer another facility. As regards the remaining 24, we can look into this issue and provide additional assistance to you through the Kaliningrad Region. We have set aside in the federal budget 10 billion roubles for the next two years to support the regions that are making efforts to commission pre-school establishments. Technically, you could also receive part of this funding, in order to support city kindergarten repair projects.

Nikolai Tsukanov (Governor of the Kaliningrad Region): Mr Putin, may I say a few words? I would like to suggest the following option. The Ministry of Defence could formalise the technical specifications and the land-tenure rights of these daycare centres. It would then be possible to discuss the transfer of some of them to the region and some to the municipalities on a parity basis.

Vladimir Putin: There is a problem here. What does Alexander say? He says all those sanitary-epidemiological stations and fire-safety inspectors will refuse to certify them. That’s the problem. We will issue additional funding to the Ministry of Defence, and it will take them years to do all the repairs. You see, this is the second problem. Wouldn’t it be better to simply transfer them to the municipal entities?

Nikolai Tsukanov: That’s what I’m talking about. And it would be possible to independently draw up all the specifications.  

Vladimir Putin: To transfer them to cities, and I will ask the minister of defence to issue a power of attorney to the concerned city or regional officials, so that they would be able to draw up all the required documents. When everything is complete, they will finalise the approval and you will receive our allocations for the repair projects. Is this a deal?

Nikolai Tsukanov: May I report to you?

Vladimir Putin: This will be faster. If we tell the Ministry of Defence to start repairing them, it will take a year, two years, or three years to complete. As military men, you are all aware of this.

Remark: Not for ourselves again!

Vladimir Putin: That’s the problem: for someone else, rather than yourselves. I don’t want to suspect anyone of anything, but, as a rule, the cost estimates will also be compiled accordingly… That’s the way it will be. Therefore let’s find an option making it possible to take them away from the Defence Ministry. Please find out, how much repairs, improvements, renovations and bringing them into compliance with sanitary standards, etc. will cost, and then we will finance you.

Nikolai Tsukanov: We have already done some calculations, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: How much?

Nikolai Tsukanov: 297 million roubles.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Please give me this document, and I will give it to my colleague, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, who is in charge of these issues. They will check the figures, and we will give you the money.

Nikolai Tsukanov: Good, thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Just make sure the kindergartens are not shut down because then you will lose employees, and children will have to be kept at home during all these transfers and paperwork. This problem is very serious, and it will be further aggravated if you shut down 24 daycare centres.

Nikolai Tsukanov: Yes, we are talking about 1,800 children. There are several daycare centres. Perhaps it would be appropriate to transfer them and to reach an agreement with the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) and the State Fire Supervision Service (Gospozhnadzor)? They will shut down some of them without a second’s thought because their boiler rooms must be relocated, and because they will be unable to meet the standards …

Vladimir Putin: Mr Tsukanov, you are the governor, and you must assess some of these things more closely. Perhaps it’s impossible for children to stay under such conditions. In that case, you must suggest an alternative, but we are ready to assist.

Nikolai Tsukanov: Mr Putin, I will accomplish everything.

Alexander Brazhnik: Mr Putin, may I say a few words? I’m Vice Admiral Alexander Brazhnik, Chairman of the Union of Great Patriotic War and Navy Veterans in the Kaliningrad Region. Three years ago, you and the President said there would be substantial raises in the pay grades of military personnel, and that pensions would also be raised to adequate levels.

Vladimir Putin: I’ll repeat again that…

Alexander Brazhnik: We are glad that at last the law has been adopted and we are expecting…Currently they are calculating future pensions, service pay, but various media outlets fear that inflation, abolishment of benefits and possibly a significant tax increase will do away with all these advantages and take us back to the starting point.  I am sure that the government has done a good job thinking it through, but I’d rather have you say this and convince the people. We are sure that they should also hear and see that it is really so.

And one more little nuance.  I do not know why the Ministry of Defence will begin to pay this month’s salary to servicemen in December, that means that in November the servicemen will not get payment and pensioners will not get their pensions; and only in December they will get their November pay, won’t they?

Vladimir Putin: As far as the financial department goes, financial divisions of the Ministry of Defence have their concerns, but unfortunately I cannot comment on their current work; I have to ask the minister. These are purely current departmental issues. Why they are doing this, I don’t know. That is to say, they have enough money. Moreover, this year they have been allocated more funds than they can absorb, I assure you. The defence minister regularly visits me with documents or asks me to transfer some funds for the next year that they could not spend or asks permission to redistribute funds from one item to another, but there is no problem of any deficit in the defence ministry at all. This is a purely technical, internal issue. I think – or rather, I am sure! – that people, of course, will get all that they expect both for November and December.

As for an increase of service pay and pensions to military pensioners. You have named three threats, all of which I have noted. The first is the abolishment of social benefits. The second is a possible tax increase. And the third is inflation.

I’ll start with the latter. We will index all incomes of servicemen and military pensioners according to inflation, and inflation will not eat up these incomes. We have taken such decision, I think it is even reflected in the law. If it is reflected in the law, any government will have to fulfill it, so the first threat, inflation, is countered with this.

The second – taxes. Which taxes? There can be only one tax – the tax on incomes of individuals. This individual income tax is one of the lowest in the world and in Europe and we do not plan to review it. So we have dropped this threat. There are many proposals on this score from our opponents, including from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. These proposals are not devoid of logic – they suggest that we make the individual taxation principle dependent on the level of incomes and introduce a taxation scale. Some time ago I supported the adoption of a 13% flat taxation of individual incomes because we (when I say ‘we,’ I mean the state), unfortunately, cannot duly control who earns much and who earns little. Those who earn much, evade taxes, and do it so artfully that the tax service cannot cope with the problem. Moreover, when we introduced a flat individual income tax, we drastically improved tax collection for the budget. People ceased to pay and receive under the table and began to show their salaries and their incomes, and we drastically increased our budget through tax collection. Therefore to date, at least, we do not plan to review this minimal taxation level.

And finally all kinds of social benefits. Indeed, the Ministry of Defence proposed and jointly with the Ministry of Finance they did a very meticulous work not to abolish benefits but to put them in order. Well, it sounds like a threat, of course. But what does it mean, putting in order? Every time we hear this, we assume that it means a drop in real welfare benefits. But what is the case in reality? Perhaps I will not be able to provide you with every minute detail of these arrangements, but I’ll cover the most important aspects. Take, for instance, the cost of travel to a vacation spot. It's true that in certain instances, these costs will not be covered. But they will be covered for servicemen on active duty in Siberia, the Urals, the Far East or the Far North, as well as in regions with harsh weather conditions. In fact, this goes for all of Russia with the exception of its central areas, but fares are not that high in central Russia anyway. I believe the new rules cancel compensation in the amount of 600 roubles per service member and 300 roubles per family member. Yes, these compensations are cancelled, but amounts of other benefits are being raised. To avoid spreading benefits thin across several items, the Defence Ministry has performed some calculations. I can tell you that the amount of benefits does decrease a little in monetary terms. A family of three will lose approximately 4,300 roubles, but the salary will increase by 150-200%. For example, a captain, a battalion commander, will see his salary increase from its current 17,600 roubles a month to 66,000 roubles a month. That is a substantial difference.

Remark: The commanding officer of a regiment will be paid 108,000 roubles.

Vladimir Putin: Correct. Service members who risk their lives in the line of duty will be paid more than 50,000 roubles. The basic salary of an entry-level lieutenant is 50,000 roubles per month, so those whose service involves risking their lives will be paid 70,000 to 80,000 roubles. Therefore, losses that result from the normalisation of benefits will not significantly affect their overall income.

Please go ahead Mr Kosenkov.

Boris Kosenkov (chairman of the Kaliningrad regional public organisation of war veterans, retired armed forces and law enforcement servicemen): Mr Putin, I am known as a chairman of the regional council of war veterans, former service members of the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies. I would like to thank you for keeping your promise on the retirement benefits for former service members that you gave on February 23. It was very comforting today to hear you say that the state would look after retraining and employment of military personnel dismissed from service. We have good expertise in this area. There is an enterprise called Avtotor headed by Vladimir Shcherbakov. It employs 3,000 people, of which 1,200 are former service members. They are going to hire another 600 new employees in January, of whom over 100 are former military officers. In addition, this enterprise offers retraining courses, which is also a great thing. In this regard, I have a request for you. Since you have good relations with businessmen, could you encourage them to hire former service members, where possible? This is the best organised, most disciplined and capable group among retired employees. I am confident that they will be of great service for any company.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Kosenkov, I agree with you. However, I mentioned earlier in our conversation that there was one issue of a purely formal nature. I gave an example, but I would still like to return to this issue. According to existing legislation, Navy officers with higher education diplomas and extensive practical experience in navigation cannot be employed by civil fleets without prior retraining. They need proper certification. They would gladly employ them knowing that they are disciplined and responsible people, but they are unable to do so. It is for this reason that I said we need to develop a retraining system as well as some form of state certification so that a person can come to any civil educational institution, take a retraining course and obtain the necessary additional work papers. This is the direction we should be heading in. Of course, I could ask them to do so, Mr Kosenkov, but it’s much better when such requests are supported with proper papers and actual retraining. In general, businessmen are reasonable people, but they won’t comply with all my requests. They do have a point, though:  there must be substantial grounds for doing so. This is exactly what we are going to address.

Yury Bychenkov: My name is Yury Bychenkov, I am chairman of the Kaliningrad regional committee of war veterans and former military service members. Mr Putin, in my line of work I maintain ongoing contact with former officers and active duty service members. You were absolutely right today in saying that the wide majority of them are patriots who are very much concerned about the future of our Armed Forces. Unfortunately, we hear facts about ongoing reforms in the Army and Navy from the media, which often (perhaps, too often) have a bias in their coverage of them. On behalf of my comrades, I would like to ask you to look into a possibility of convening an All-Russian Assembly of Officers chaired by the commander in chief, and inviting active duty service members and former officers of the Armed Forces to it in order to obtain trustworthy information and relieve these people of – let me put it this way – unnecessary emotional reactions and concerns. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Good. This is a good idea, we’ll look into it. By the way, speaking of Avtotor, I am aware that they are planning to expand their manufacturing capabilities, recently…

Yury Bychenkov: They are switching from assembly to manufacturing of parts.

Vladimir Putin: Not quite, but they are getting there, that’s true. Their capabilities are good. There are lots of major manufacturers who are doing small-scale work. What we need is one major manufacturer. We should also see to it that Avtotor blends in with the general automaking concept in Russia, in order to ensure that there are no loopholes for Western carmakers who could use this structure to slip into the Russian automobile market and harm it in some way. We… I believe it's Mr Gorbunov...?

Yury Bychenkov: The enterprise is headed by Mr Shcherbakov. Mr Gorbunov is his deputy…

Vladimir Putin: Yes, Mr Gorbunov, he came to see me recently. We discussed all these issues, and he is now addressing them together with the government. We would very much like to support Kaliningrad and Avtotor, which is an important enterprise for Kaliningrad. We therefore need to find the correct form of support that would keep the enterprise intact and allow it to further expand, but that at the same time will not interfere with the general concept for promoting automaking in Russia or the car market.

Remark: Yes, we are aware of your stance with regard to this issue. You’ve mentioned it before.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, we have agreements with key manufacturers, the best international brands. We have defended this position during our talks with the WTO, whereby the company will make 300,000 cars in Russia and manufacture 60% to 70% of the car parts in Russia, including engines and transmissions. There may be different parts, but engines, transmissions and varnish are part of our high-tech expertise. We have reached an agreement with key manufacturers about parts that they will make here in Russia. We will reach this level of localisation gradually, in a matter of a few years. Avtotor should do the same thing, because if we end up with mere semi knock-down, then in reality we will be importing cars from abroad. Our colleagues are well aware of this and they are currently negotiating the best ways to proceed with the government.

Please go ahead Mr Loginov.

Alexander Loginov: Alexander Loginov, chairman of the Kaliningrad regional branch of the Russian Union of Afghan War Veterans and chairman of the council for internationalist troops killed in action.

Widows of deceased WWII veterans receive an average of 17,000 roubles per month, while widows and mothers of troops killed in hostilities or counter-terrorism operations receive as little as 6,350 roubles as compensation for the loss of their provider. Is there any way to bring these benefits to a proper level, because this is very important psychologically as well. I know a family of a Hero of Russia who died in the Northern Caucasus. His son is also a soldier who served in Tajikistan. His mother, the widow, told him that perhaps it was time for him to quit the Army, because they already lost their father in action. But he said that someone must be there to protect the Motherland. Her younger son is also studying at the Kaliningrad Institute of Border Guards…

My second question is about war veterans who have sustained war injuries who are on the same housing waitlist as other people with disabilities. There are 1,306 people on such a list in the Kaliningrad Region, of whom 310 are veterans with war injuries. Is there any way to put them on a separate list? After all, defending the Motherland is a profession unlike others. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: What can I say? I believe you are right, and your question is based on a fair amount of social justice. Of course, this is an issue of money and  budget possibilities. As for the families of troops killed in action, I have already said that the decision has already been made, that beginning January 1, 2012 each family that has lost a family member who was a service member in hostilities will receive a one-time compensation in the amount of 3 million roubles. As for service members who have been injured in action, we will provide benefits that haven’t been paid before. I gave you the numbers. We should also think about housing. Let’s make a note of this and discuss this issue with the Defence Ministry and the State Duma. The same goes for wives and mothers of service members who were killed in action. Not during WWII, but later, when serving their Motherland in various troubled areas around the globe. We will definitely look into it.

Yes, Alexander, please go ahead.

Alexander Zhukov: If this is an issue of housing, then they should have all housing issues in the Kaliningrad Region fixed next year…Mr Tsukanov, please correct me if I’m wrong.

Vladimir Putin: No, the issue is about…

Alexander Zhukov: About those who are on the waitlist, that is, dismissed service members.

Remark: No, this is about disabled people. Military veterans with disabilities are on the same waitlist as other applicants.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, they are on the general waitlist. Mr Zhukov, you are talking about former service members who were dismissed…

Remark: From the 1990s.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, exactly.

Alexander Zhukov: They will receive everything.

Vladimir Putin: They will, but Mr Loginov was talking about another group of people, such as soldiers or sergeants who were wounded or injured during compulsory military service…

Boris Kosenkov: Mr Putin, the regional budget has already received 1.5 billion roubles from the federal budget to take care of housing for 710 officers who were dismissed from service and were not provided any home to live in.

Vladimir Putin: Excellent. We will wrap up this issue by late 2012. We must finish the work related to the provision of service housing before the end of 2012. There will be certain delays with the provision of permanent housing, but we will still conclude the matter before the end of 2013. We will provide housing to people on the municipal waitlists before the end of 2012. But you are quite right, we should think about this group of people as well. We will give it consideration; I’ll make a note of it.

Please, Mr Stepanov, go ahead.

Vladimir Stepanov: Retired General Vladimir Stepanov, deputy chairman of the regional committee for war veterans and former service members. Mr Putin, on August 28, 2003, you approved a list of preparatory work for upcoming celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of victory in WWII that features the war memorial centre in the Kaliningrad Region. I am here to report that the construction of the first phase was completed in 2010. Today, heads of war veteran organisations from Moscow laid wreaths there. I believe they will share their impressions with us. Unfortunately, this is the only complex in Russia, which is regarded as the best in our country, because in addition to The Mound of Glory memorial, it also includes spots for the reburial of the remains of Soviet soldiers found in the Kaliningrad Region. According to the Defence Ministry, 150,000 troops died here, in Eastern Prussia.

Vladimir Putin: The main battles here were in April 1945, correct?

Vladimir Stepanov: Yes. There’s a spot to commemorate those who fell in battles, whose names are in the Book of Memory but whose remnants have not yet been found. The Defence Ministry says that they died here. We have built a military cemetery with 7,000 spots, which is the only one in Russia so far. A federal one has not been built as of yet. The regional authorities allocate yearly adjusted amounts to maintain this war memorial. In 2011, the total was 3.941 million roubles for purposes of maintenance. The regional government has also allocated funds towards project development. The project is now ready and is currently going through inspection and approval. The total amount stands at 208 million roubles. Given that social expenses are extremely high at over 60% of the Kaliningrad regional budget, we would like to ask you to finance or co-finance the construction of this complex. The construction is scheduled to take five years. To give you a better idea of what we are talking about, on behalf of the veteran organisations of the Kaliningrad Region, let me present you with a photo album about this complex and a video about the burial of the remains of the soldiers, which took place on June 17 in the run-up to the Day of Memory and Grief.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Remark: Mr Stepanov is a bit nervous and forgot to mention the most important thing – that the cemetery will run out of space in March. There will be no space available for burials in 2012. 

Remark: We have 1.5 lots left.

Mikhail Moiseyev (chairman of the Council of the All-Russian Non-Profit Organisation of Former Russian Armed Forces Service Members): Mr Putin…

Vladimir Putin: Mr Tsukanov (addressing Nikolai Tsukanov), will you give me the papers? I mean the letter, so that I can understand what stands behind the numbers…

Mikhail Moiseyev: Mr Putin, we, the heads of the army's veteran organisation, started our day by visiting this memorial. We saw many of them across Russia. Let me tell you that we have never seen such a well-organised and beautiful historical monument, which has more in it than just a story about those who fought for this land… Everything, including minor details and memorial headstones, is done unpretentiously, unlike in some other places where you occasionally see big bosses piling up slabs of granite just because they can afford it …

Vladimir Putin: I see.

Mikhail Moiseyev: This monument is made in an austere, well thought-out and convincing manner. However, they are too modest about bringing up the question of the museum of military equipment. They would like to display as many pieces as possible because children and young people are very interested in this. There are always visitors there. This is a place of high culture that serves educational purposes for younger generations. Cadets were present there during the flower- and wreath-laying ceremony. Young people are drawn to this place. They study history and learn about the people who fought for this land. The general impression is excellent.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Mikhail Moiseyev: We think that this is an amazing monument. However, perhaps we can go a little farther…

Vladimir Putin: I’ve been in Bryansk lately. They have unveiled a remarkable memorial complex there as well. Every detail was thought out and you can see that people put their hearts into building it.

Mikhail Moiseyev: Mr Putin, there’s more to this story. On our way to the memorial, we stopped by the House of Veterans. What we saw really deserves special mention. They managed to solve the problem in its entirety. In addition to housing, they provided veterans with all of the social services, including medical and educational services. They are helping people to evolve culturally. We went in to see rooms and other premises. We know places in Russia where they treat people well. Everything is close by. Whenever anyone needs medical assistance, the doctors are right there.

Vladimir Putin: This is not the only such institution in Russia. They spring up in different Russian regions.

Mikhail Moiseyev: That’s very good, but they have a minor issue related to the hospital. Of course, it does provide services to veterans, but they have completed the construction of the second phase for 20 beds. They need just 6.5 million roubles to commission it. The people who work there are so talented and so involved in their work. The commissioning of the second phase will solve the problems of all war veterans with wounds or injuries.

Vladimir Putin: Well, I believe that regional authorities will be able to come up with 6 million roubles.

Nikolai Tsukanov: Mr Putin, people don’t discuss issues that they don’t see or expect. Of course, 6 million is not an issue to discuss with you. They have the third and the fourth phase coming soon. Thank you for supporting our initiative. They will build an additional 100 apartments for veterans and a hospital. We have made provisions for repairs. Certainly, we will do it all.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Frants Klintsevich: Mr Putin, excuse me for asking you this perhaps unusual question. But before I ask it, I would like to say that everyone sitting at this table is a member of the Russian Popular Front. The things that we did for the veterans are unprecedented, including what we heard today. Unfortunately, people tend to forget how things used to be. However, we have accomplishments that we can be proud of because we are creating good living conditions for the people. I know firsthand what I am talking about, because I often meet with veterans from our former Soviet republics. Therefore, Mr Putin, a big thank you goes out to you for everything that you are doing. Now, my question. Each time that we get together, we are invariably asking for some support and assistance. Indeed, veteran organisations do have needs and want to improve things. We were talking about veteran organisations of the defence and law enforcement agencies that bring together highly educated, patriotic, strong and accomplished people. What would you like to get from veteran organisations as the head of the government, someone who is a genuine national leader? This is what my unusual question is about.

Vladimir Putin: You know, I don’t feel separated from this environment since I served as an officer for almost 20 years. I am part of this environment, and I take all of these issues emotionally as if they were my own. I feel at one with the people from the law enforcement agencies, the Defence Ministry and special services as if I were a member of the same team. I’m saying this honestly and I expect the information coming from this environment to be complete and unbiased, so that we are able to do things together that will make our country stronger, rather than pursue our narrow departmental interests. I expect that we will focus on the fate of our nation as is appropriate for officers. If we retain this approach in dealing with the challenges facing our country, we will manage to strengthen our country, which, in fact, has always been the goal of each man as he made the educated choice to become an officer. That’s all there is to it. No other super-tasks to deal with whatsoever.

Frants Klintsevich: Thank you, Mr Putin. As the head of the front, you provided satisfactory answers to your subordinates. I am speaking for myself, not for my colleagues.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Mr Kucher, please go ahead.

Vasily Kucher: Retired Lieutenant-Colonel, participant in armed conflicts Vasily Kucher. I am a deputy chairman of the Council of the Kaliningrad regional branch of the All-Russian Public Organisation of Armed Conflict Veterans “Military Brotherhood”.

We discussed this issue at the grassroots and then regional organisation level back when you came up with the initiative to establish the Popular Front. We heard different opinions and questions like who the Popular Front was going to fight for or against. There were many questions. Finally, after prolonged discussions, we decided to join the Popular Front to support 10 years of stability in our country. The outcome of this stability is here for everyone to see. No matter what the detractors or opposition say in mass media, at home or during rallies, our nation has made progress. Take, for instance, our military system where key members of our organisation include former military and law enforcement officers, active duty service members, active law enforcement officers and armed conflict participants.

We have already said that salaries and pensions were raised and many housing issues were solved. However, even in the Kaliningrad Region, about 2,000 active or dismissed service members do not have proper housing conditions. We heard today that funds have been allocated and this issue will be resolved in full by January 1, 2013. Still, there will be rumours until this issue is effectively dealt with. We hope that what you said today will be actually implemented.

Vladimir Putin: We will solve the issue of service housing, of those on the municipal waiting lists and dismissed service members without apartments by late 2012. All permanent housing issues will be resolved by late 2013.

Vasily Kucher: I would like to thank our country's government and top officials for this. But we have other questions as well. We heard today that all of the issues facing disabled armed conflict veterans will also be solved, and that the money was allocated. This is also great news. Among us there are many strong, healthy capable men who have earned their right to housing or who already have housing. However, some of us can’t afford decent living conditions. We are not asking for thousands or millions of apartments, but at least… We have the Coordination Council of War Veterans under the Russian government, the Council of Veteran Organisations under Governor Tsukanov. Give us the right to provide apartments to at least three or four participants in armed conflicts a year, if you have such a possibility. We really need this kind of assistance. Clearly, there will be inspections to check their actual living conditions. There is a case in point. Participant in armed conflicts receive aid in the amount of up to 10,000 roubles from the regional budget via the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development that may be used to cover medical expenses or repair costs. This works well. It improves the image of the regional government and that of veteran organisations. This is my question – is it feasible? If it is, then please make it happen.

Here is my second question. At a previous meeting in Cherepovets, I asked you about the possibility of building a rehab centre similar to the Rus centre located outside Moscow here in the Kaliningrad Region. If such a centre cannot be built, then perhaps the quota for staying at existing rehabilitation centres in the Kaliningrad Region during summers could be extended. Not all participants in armed conflicts can go to these rehab centres during summers, since it’s a busy season and the occupancy rate is very high. The existing quota of three or four persons, or up to 10 persons, is ridiculous.

Another issue of which everyone is sick and tired already is the Defence Ministry’s children’s recreational centres, formerly known as pioneer camps. The ministry promised that they will be functional and remain on its balance. Let me report to you, though, that while the kindergartens are being transferred to the local authorities, children’s recreational centres – we already got their answer – will not be transferred, and the Defence Ministry will keep them. Are they getting rid of non-core assets and keeping the lucrative ones? We don’t really care who runs these summer camps – the Defence Ministry, or the local, or the federal authorities. The real question is whether or not they will open on June 1, 2013.

Remark: 2012.

Vasily Kucher: Right, 2012. There are a lot of issues, but this, unfortunately, is…

Vladimir Putin: This is a question for the ministry; I need to check with the defence minister. Are people worried that they are going to shut them down?

Vasily Kucher: The issue is unresolved at the moment: there is no financing, and there are no plans to repair and open these children’s recreational centres.

Vladimir Putin: If this threat exists, would you prefer them to be handed over to municipalities or somewhere else?

Vasily Kucher: Why do they have to be given over from the Ministry of Defence to regional structures? First of all, the wages of teachers and all other employees (cooks and health care workers) are much lower there than those at the Ministry of Defence, but the cost of vouchers is now the same for both the ministry’s camps and for regional or local children’s recreation centres.

Vladimir Putin: Let's ask Mr Tsukanov about it. Mr Tsukanov?

Nikolai Tsukanov: Mr Putin, I reported in Cherepovets that we had turned with this issue to the Minister of Defence. He said that he had indeed shut down these two pioneer camps (recreational camps, as we call them today) and promised to open them in 2012 following capital repairs. I have a letter from him about this, and I reported to you about it as well.

Vladimir Putin: So they were shut down not in order to get rid of them, but to put them into proper condition?

Nikolai Tsukanov: That was the response. He said, the camps would be put in order.

Vladimir Putin: I have no reason not to believe the Minister of Defence.

Vasily Kucher: These camps, at least the Smirnov camp, were ready for the summer season, and there were already documents from the regional sanitary inspection service that confirmed this – there was a resolution.

Vladimir Putin: I will check this.

Vasily Kucher: We would like this issue…

Remark: It's in the Svetlogorsk district.

Vasily Kucher: The centre of Svetlogorsk.

Vladimir Putin: Perhaps there were other problems aside from sanitary epidemiological inspection? I promise you that I will look into it. The problem is I don’t know what happened to these two particular camps. But I will look into it, I promise.

Alexander Brazhnik: Mr Putin, as for housing, the Navy commander met with the leaders of veteran organisations and told exactly how many apartment buildings would be commissioned in Kaliningrad and Baltiisk, and he convinced all of the retired servicemen.

Vladimir Putin: There will be seven buildings.

Alexander Brazhnik: He convinced us, and the sailors have no doubt that the plan will be implemented.

Vladimir Putin: No, no, there is no doubt about it. Mr Kucher was referring to a different category. It’s just that participants in armed conflicts belong to a different category than former officers.

Vasily Kucher: Yes, I was talking about soldiers and sergeants.

Vladimir Putin: Soldiers who completed their military service and then retired. They are not included in these categories of people who are provided with housing. Mr Kucher, I'd like to say to you that, of course, we would like to provide housing to everyone immediately.

Vasily Kucher: This is clear, we understand that this is difficult…

Vladimir Putin: Do you know how many apartments we provided for WWII veterans?

Vasily Kucher: As many as 1,048 in Kaliningrad Region alone.

Vladimir Putin: A total of 185,000, and 52,000 are still on the waiting list, those who were put there after March 1, 2005. As soon as we made the announcement, tens of thousands of people joined the waiting lists. Besides, we need to settle this issue with the people to whom the state has failed to honour its commitments, but it must do it in compliance with the law. I'm talking about former officers, for example, who retired and received no housing. We need to allocate resources and we need to resolve this problem. We will ultimately have to honour all of our commitments to active duty officers who are eligible to receive permanent housing. We will have to resolve the issue with the provision of service housing. If we assume all those obligation without proper understanding, where will we end up?

Remark: We will screw up the whole thing.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, exactly. Without understanding where we are going to find this money, we will fail immediately. So I agree with you…

Vasily Kucher: At any rate, it should be done at some point in the future. It's obvious that all issues cannot be resolved in a single day.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, we must proceed gradually. We will first settle things with war veterans, then with those who were supposed to receive housing, but retired without receiving it, then with permanent housing, with service housing and then we will take the next step. But all these problems have to be resolved.

Vasily Kucher: Still, thank you very much for your understanding.

Vladimir Putin: Of course, we understand completely: the guys went to war, they risked their lives. Of course, we want to help them and resolve their problems. We will not forget about them.

Remark: At the coordination council, we seriously…

Vladimir Putin: We will not forget about it. I just don’t want to make empty promises and say, “Yes, we will do it tomorrow,” hoping that you'll forget all about it. No, I'm not interested in doing that. The question is: how soon? And we have to calculate how much this will cost, but we will not forget about them.

Alexander Zhukov: Mr Putin, I would like to add a few words about the children’s recreational amps. We have already discussed this today. Mr Putin supported the idea of setting up a federal children’s recreational camp in the Kaliningrad Region, similar to those we have in the Far East and on the Black Sea, Orlyonok. This kind of federal camp can be opened here. And I believe that this will not only resolve the problem of children’s summer vacations in the Kaliningrad Region, but will also attract people from the entire Northwestern District and, perhaps, from the entire country.

Vladimir Putin: I believe it would be good to open these recreational camps in the Volga region and somewhere in Siberia, say, on Lake Baikal, so that such children’s camps would be evenly distributed across the country. Mr Karabanov, please.

Dmitry Karabanov: Dmitry Karabanov, from the all-Russian organisation of war and labour veterans. I'm going to stray from the topic at hand a bit, perhaps unexpectedly. We all carry out significant work to educate young people. We meet often… You see, a problem has emerged when we need to teach young people to respect their elders, not to educate the old. And the tide is turning somewhat…

I may not have asked this question, but I personally met people at schools and museums. We held a competition at 1,500 museums simultaneously, and so on… So a lot of people were involved. And both teachers and senior students say that it’s all a bit odd… Here grandfathers are good, but when we watch TV it turns out that the grandfathers are bad, they are always portrayed as bad for some reason. When we criticise the past, we get a little too carried away. In criticising the past, our history, we criticise our old people and the general opinion is that we need to stop at some point. We need to find a happy medium, so that we don't get too carried away and make young people lose their respect for the elderly, because then the old will lose their right to teach the young. So I am addressing you as the leader of the party. I spoke with all members of the presidium, and they told me to go ahead and bring up this issue. So, Mr Putin, we have a big election coming up, and then another one. I ask you not to forget a programme to foster respect for the senior generation. It should be provided on a large scale, in order to create a comprehensive programme that involves many people and deals with a great many issues – gardeners, farmers, regional issues, etc – in order to instill respect of the elderly into society. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: I completely agree with you. You are absolutely right, I only want to add that the government’s efforts alone will not be enough, though this is very important. Teaching respect for the old should begin in the family, and we need to remember one simple rule: you should treat your parents – parents in a broader sense, the older generation – the way you want your children to treat you.

If our society firmly adheres to these rules, there will be no place for such concerns. I’d like to draw your attention to this, because we are now talking about raising pensions in both the civilian and military sectors, about the housing issue and problems with veterans. I had said that the pensions of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War are even a bit higher than the national average salary – 23,000 roubles as compared with 22,500 roubles. This is an indication that the government is paying due attention to the older generation. We continue building memorials, which you have already mentioned today, and this is also very important. There are many scout teams out there working! They are made up mostly of young men and women. They are working of their own free will, searching for names and immortalising those who were killed in action defending our homeland during the Great Patriotic War. This does not mean we have done everything we can, and it makes sense to think about such comprehensive measures.

Dmitry Karabanov: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Mr Shilov, please go ahead.

Ivan Shilov (Chairman of the Russian Council of the Public Organisation of Veterans of Internal Affairs Agencies and Interior Troops): Mr Putin, the Ministry of the Interior is one of the law-enforcement agencies that have just completed its transformation. I must tell you that the minister and I (as his assistant and the council chairman) flew to 83 republics, territories and regions in the past month and a half. We were analysing three questions – the results of work in the first half of the year, the implementation of reforms and their outcome. These are very important questions, and whenever the minister or I spoke about social issues, all personnel (we invited not only enlisted personnel but also veterans and cadets of the academies of the Interior Ministry, and the principle of continuity was observed even in the audience) welcomed these measures and thanked the president and you. As for meetings with you, I have seen many times that when you make specific decisions, especially very important decisions, they are always carried out.

It is enough to mention the major decision you made concerning Soviet symbols on the Victory Banner. You met with us, and it was not easy for you to make that decision at the time, but you made it anyway. Veterans and those who participated in the Great Patriotic War always recall this, no matter where they meet, and express their gratitude to you. Thank you very much. This is the first point.

The results of the reforms have been very impressive and our ministry will now be able to select people for service from among its agencies, rather than the first-comers. This should have a positive effect on discipline, law and order and the security of our people. Only some minor issues arose.

Thank you for adopting the social package. We have never had anything like this before -- we merely received salaries, and there was little talk about pensions. The decision on pensions has also had a positive effect. And I’d like to thank you especially for the decision on providing housing for military personnel and veterans, an issue that has not been raised for the past 20 years. This has now also become part of the law.

The only thing I’d like to mention within this context has to do with the families of the dead. You will remember that I made a speech about this during a meeting with you. Not all families of the dead receive pensions that will cover the cost of education, clothing and food. Some receive small pensions – I’m talking about the families of sergeants and warrant officers. Is it possible to allow the families of the dead to continue receiving the one thousand roubles that the president pays to them? This would support them, and it would be great for them to have this. The minister and I will meet the families of the dead on the 8th (as we do traditionally every year) and, naturally, they will ask us about this… It would be great to keep a thousand roubles…

Vladimir Putin: Have we decided to cancel this thousand rouble allowance?

Ivan Shilov: Yes, it was cancelled by law. And one more question that is very important for veterans has to do with free prosthetic dentistry. We have made proposals about this and would appreciate very much for it to remain free as it has been in the past. Military personnel are still entitled to this benefit, but veterans have been excluded, and this is very important to them. If possible, please settle these two small issues.

Vladimir Putin: I believe they proceeded based on the idea that this is not a big reduction compared to the considerable increase in their pensions. Let’s come back to it and take another look.

Ivan Shilov: Mr Putin, with the new technology, it costs $1,000 to get a new tooth.

Vladimir Putin: If new technology is involved, even $1,000 may not be enough.

Remark: A thousand at best.

Ivan Shilov: Mr Putin, I’m not talking about teeth made out of some precious metals – these are simple ones…

Vladimir Putin: It's cheaper now to make teeth from precious metals. Okay, I have made a note of this. We will review this issue.

Ivan Shilov: Thank you very much. In general, thank you very much for everything – your attitude and your attention.

Andrei Kolesnik: Mr Putin, I have a proposal. We have been talking a lot about this issue. Veteran organisations are also bringing up the younger generation and enhancing the prestige of service in the Armed Forces. I may upset many officials with what I am about to say, but I know that in many countries if a man has not served in the army, he is not allowed to engage in serious business. Turkey is one example. We could also make armed service a criterion for officials who want to fill in a vacancy, on the same level as other criteria. This is the first point.

Secondly, I’ll tell you as one sportsman to another – I think our Armed Forces must have a cult of sport. It’s great that these gyms are being opened in military townships and in the military basis– I know this is being done in the North. We could only dream of such gyms in our time.

I started my training in this building, in the basement to be exact. Some of us became Olympic and world champions, others enrolled in special task forces. Therefore, my proposal is to make service in the Armed Forces or in security agencies one of the criteria for occupying official positions that also require high professional skills, and so on. Many countries have this practice but we, regrettably… We have raised salaries… You are raising them on the 1st of November.

This is great, because people who serve in the Armed Forces must enjoy prestige and respect, with girls waiting in a queue to dance with cadets in academies, dreaming of marrying an officer. This is also important, but this is part of daily life. I graduated from a submarine school in Leningrad when…

Vladimir Putin: In Petersburg?

Andrei Kolesnik: Yes, in Petersburg. I had a coach in judo – Vladimir Pokatayev. Do you know him? Maybe you've heard of him. He is one of the best judoists.

Vladimir Putin: I know him well.

Remark: He was our coach.

Remark: And there was a queue to get into his group in Petersburg.

Andrei Kolesnik: Yes, we also had a long queue in our Naval Academy… Not everyone could get in…

Vladimir Putin: I know Pokatayev well.

Andrei Kolesnik: He was my first judo coach although I am a freestyle wrestler, which is where I started. This is why I think this will work, and we’ll raise the prestige of the Armed Forces because people do not always serve for money, some also serve for…

Vladimir Putin: We must give it some thought, Mr Kolesnik. And what if a person did not serve in the Armed Forces for some objective reasons, for instance, if …

Andrei Kolesnik: I suggested this as one of the criteria. If it is only one of many criteria, why not? In the past, if you recall, girls would not even want to date a guy who did not serve in the army.

Vladimir Putin: Nobody can order girls around.

Andrei Kolesnik: Indeed, that's true. But I want to emphasise that this was so in the past and I think our veterans remember this.

Vladimir Putin: It's possible not to hire them for government service, or to impose certain restrictions, but with girls, it will be more difficult.

Andrei Kolesnik: No, I just suggested this as one of many criteria.

Vladimir Putin: It's unlikely that we could formulate some kind of instruction, or rather, we could articulate it, but it's not likely they would listen to us.

Andrei Kolesnik: I have even heard a saying that real guys wear military uniforms. In principle, if a man has served in the army, he is ready for many things.

Vladimir Putin: I agree. At any rate, these people are usually responsible and disciplined. They know their own worth and that of their friends.

Andrei Kolesnik: You hit the nail on the head. But we still want to enhance the prestige of army service.

Vladimir Putin: I agree. Everything you said makes perfect sense. We must give it some thought.

Andrei Kolesnik: I think everyone will agree.

Vladimir Putin: I’m sure everyone will agree with what was said about education.

Andrei Kolesnik: For example?

Vladimir Putin: For instance, that those who have served in the army should have certain advantages in entering higher educational institutions. This was the case in Soviet years, and it makes sense as a practice. We could think about instituting such benefits. I think we should encourage those who serve, rather than imposing restrictions for those who haven't.

Andrei Kolesnik: Those who have served must have an advantage. This is what I said – one of the criteria – there are many others. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much for the conversation. I found it interesting, and I have made some notes. I’ll try to promote some ideas with the help of Mr Zhukov in Moscow, who is responsible for social issues. We’ll continue moving forward. I was very pleased to talk with you today. The conversation was very interesting. Thank you very much. I wish you all the best.