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Grigory A. Yavlinsky, Member of the Russian Duma and Leader
of the Yabloko Movement, expressed some pessimism about Russia's
short-term economic prospects. "We think that growth cannot
be expected in the first quarter of 2002," Yavlinsky said.
"To generalize on this point, we think that without deep
changes, without new products and new technologies, all the other
resources to accelerate economic growth are almost completely
exhausted. Further growth would require new investments and radical
changes in the quality of management." Yavlinsky turned out
to be highly laudatory of Putin when it comes to foreign policy,
though. "Russia made an absolute incomparable breakthrough
in 2001," he said. "It was the personal courage of the
Russian president to take the decision of unconditional support
for the United States and its stand against terrorism. It was
the personal courage of the president that resulted in that decision."
The United States, Yavlinsky pointed out, has been less helpful
in its treatment of Russia. "The statements about the ABM
treaty, the declarations that treaties were not necessary anymore,
that warheads would not be destroyed but would be stored, one
by one, every week; something has happened in which Russia has
given a very quiet, very wise response," he said. "The
president is giving a very clear signal to his partners that the
relative success of the United States in Afghanistan is only the
end of the beginning, and it is a very long story -- It is better,
instead of discussing these minor things which create new problems,
to start negotiating strategic military and political alliances
for the 21st century that will have a dramatic impact on the internal
political situation in Russia as well."
See also:
www.weforum.org
Anti-Terror
Coalition
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