Remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin
at Meeting with Government Members

Moscow, Russia

RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

November 10, 2002

Good afternoon, esteemed colleagues.

Our past week was fairly packed, and next will be as packed. You know that quite recently the Security Council of the United Nations adopted a resolution on Iraq. I want to confirm once again that this was the product of a compromise, but for us - an acceptable compromise, the result of the joint work of all members of the Security Council of the United Nations.

Crucial for us is - and that's how this resolution is seen by all UN Security Council permanent members - the fact that no mechanisms of an automatic use of force are set into it. This is what we were able to achieve as a result of the joint work. We regard this result as highly positive.

This week the Government will have to discuss a number of very important matters for the economy of the country, which will affect, in the end, each Russian citizen. I mean, in the first place, the draft law on currency regulation and the insurance of bank deposits. Only recently these bills had seemed absolutely ready, but I agree with the leadership of the Government that time was required to check all the provisions of these drafts more carefully. I hope that final touches will be put this week.

In an hour I have a scheduled meeting with representatives of the Chechen public. You know that prominent figures of Chechnya - religious and public - came up with an initiative to speed the constitutional processes in the Republic. Frankly, it had seemed to me that that could be held later, but after reading the text of the appeal of the representatives of the public of Chechnya to the Chechen people I think that the action group is right. There can be no delay in this. On the contrary. Everything should be done to create the conditions in Chechnya for accelerating the process of political stabilization in society. This is what both the Chechen people and the whole of Russia is interested in.