Скачать или смотреть Putin comments on NATO, Mideast

(24 Jun 2002)

1. Exterior of Kremlin
2. Putin enters the news conference hall to applause
3. Wide shot of news conference
4. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
"Russia is the only one of the great world economies that's not a member of the WTO. The only one! 95 or more per cent of the world's economy falls on the WTO member countries. To stay out of that organisation, outside that process, is dangerous and stupid."
5. Reporters raising hands to ask Putin a question
6. Mid shot of reporters
7. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
"It would be absolutely wrong, both tactically and strategically (for Russia), to try to prevent Estonia from being accepted into NATO. If Estonia wants, let it enter, if Estonia thinks it would be better for her. I see no tragedy there. At the same time, the real modern threats that humanity faces today are those of terrorism and nuclear arms proliferation. They are interconnected."
8. Mid shot of news conference
9. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
"The Palestinian leadership should do everything possible to stop terrorist acts; an unconditional stop, that is. I would add only one thing: when I say 'the Palestinian leadership' I mean first and foremost Chairman Arafat. It would be dangerous and an error to remove him from the political arena, as we, the Russian leadership, think it could only lead to radicalisation of the Palestinian movement."
10. Mid shot of reporters
11. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
"The mopping-up operations (in Chechnya) cannot be ameliorated - they have to be stopped altogether. But it would only become possible after the Chechen administration's position is improved from the legal and law enforcement points of view. When I say law enforcement, I mean the formation of capable Chechen territorial police units, including OMON (crack police force units). This work is being done now. Chechnya must be protected by Chechens themselves."
12. Cutaway cameras
13. Wide shot news conference

STORYLINE:

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his recent, whirlwind schedule of meetings with foreign leaders was intended to secure Russia's position as an international partner "with full, equal rights".

At a news conference in Moscow on Monday, he dismissed suggestions inside Russia that Moscow postpone its entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as "dangerous and stupid".

The news conference came two days before the start of his meetings with the leaders of the seven most industrialised nations in western Canada, where he's expected to push Russia's campaign for entry into the W-T-O by 2004.

Putin's efforts got a recent boost when the U-S and European Union (EU) announced they would recognise Russia as a "market economy". But last week, a senior European trade official said Russia's seven-year bid to join the organisation was stalling because Moscow insisted on protecting its telecommunications business and financial sector from foreign competition.

Putin said there were problems to be ironed out in the negotiation process, but said he hoped Russia would enter the W-T-O before 2004, when the organisation begins a new round of talks on changing global trade rules. He also said that Russian producers, many of whom fear a flood of more competitive goods, shouldn't resist W-T-O membership.

Speaking about NATO enlargement, Putin said he didn't believe that membership in NATO would improve the security of those countries seeking to join the Western alliance.





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