in his first major interview since confirming is running for president again the outline to russian t.v. networks why he wants to return to the kremlin and his vision of the country's course if he gets the job. good afternoon again good afternoon i am open to your questions mr putin the latest convention of the united russia party made the political situation in this country much clearer recently with why are you returning to the kremlin with this clear yeah but as i've mentioned many times and as first russian president bodys yeltsin said i never aspired to this position it's a well known fact that initially when this offer was made i explicitly expressed doubts over my ability to handle such a huge workload and enormous responsibility for the fate of the nation that would once i take up a job i do my best to complete it or at least to yield maximum results but there are people who criticize me and dmitri maybe they say that if your humble servant takes part in the election that would mean there would be no election at all

perhaps that would be the case for him but an ordinary citizen always has a choice to make so our critics might see it their own way but in this case they ought to present their platform and what's more important not only to present it also to proven cracked is that they can do this job better but we can also refer to the experience of other countries franklin roosevelt stood at the helm throughout the ordeals of economic depression and world war two and was elected four times because his policies were effective helmut kohl spent sixteen years in power in west germany he wasn't president but his post was actually the most important executive job in the country and this ng goes for one of the former canadian prime ministers look at post-war france where a president could have been elected for seven years without a limit on the number of tournaments it was just recently that france introduced an amendment into its constitution and cut it down to no more than two five year terms very similar to what we have in russia but what does that mean when a country is facing difficult and hard times when it's recovering from a crisis and getting back on its feet it's these pillars of stability including in

politics that a play a vital role as regards my return nothing is decided until the people have voted it is one thing when i hear some people say that they would like to see that happen or when people. certain regions suggest something that it is a different thing when the whole country goes to the polls and we need our people to come and express their attitudes to what we have been doing there is another important aspect here the most active part of the political spectrum people who talk about democratic institutions in russia they are concerned the democratic process is maybe ruled back this is definitely not going to happen because i can't imagine russia developing without democratic institutions b.c. this is exactly what i intend to work on i will strengthen our country's political system and its foundations i will work to develop democratic institutions and a market economy with an emphasis on social needs. which he recently visited china and as many know it was your first visit broad since you announced he was going to run in the election does that mean china is becoming russia's priority

international partner but because by doing it is a coincidence that if you look at the government schedule it is not a classified document that you will see that russian chinese intergovernmental meetings were conducted on a regular basis we have all reasons to consider china a strategic partner of russia and not only because we share the world's longest border but our trade is growing at a great rate china is developing very rapidly turning into a valued partner a great market for russian manufactured goods and a source of investments into our economy. a partner mr putin not a threat. i have said this on more than one occasion to those who tried to scare me with the chinese threat in most cases it was our partners from the west however lucrative the natural resources of eastern siberia and russia's far east might look we all know they are not the prize in today's biggest global struggle that struggle is for world leadership and we're not going to get in china's way there china has other competition there let them figure it out for russia china is first and

foremost a reliable partner we can tell the chinese authorities and the people of china are willing to build up good neighborly relations with us to look for middle ground solutions to issues that seem extremely complet. we can tell they are ready to do it we take measures to indicate we are ready and as a result we find points of contact i'm sure it will continue to happen in the future or here in with an idea. for a global leadership you recently wrote an article for the it's basically a daily where you suggest creating a eurasian economic area that would be a bridge between europe and the booming economies or the asia pacific region at the same time and everyone remembers you calling this downfall of the soviet union the last century of the it is geopolitical tragedy in this respect what would you say to those who see in your words some sort of an imperial ambitions to recreate a new empire imperiously teeter well you don't need to be an expert to realize that if we combine our countries potential in technology infrastructure transport energy

sector mineral resources workforce territorial and language opportunities which are no less important for developing a common economic space if we combine all these potential our competitiveness will search it will grow dramatically we're using the potential we have inherited from the older generation and we can transfer it to a new modern basis today and if we are committed to introducing the principles of the world trade organization into an operating procedures this will make us more transparent to our external partners as for the foreign critics who say that russia has imperial ambitions so what can i say we see what is going on in europe for example integration has reached a level even the soviet union could never dream of i think you know and if you don't i will tell you that the european parliament has more decisions binding on the member states than the supreme soviet of the soviet union ever passed for the soviet republics when you look at america north america is engulfed in the intense integration processes that involve the united states canada and mexico the same is

true for latin america and africa but it is ok over there and nobody has any objections but when it comes to russia here we are at imperial ambitions i can tell these critics who. by the way they don't seem to be very conscientious or scrupulous if you know what mind your own business go combat the climbing inflation and the growing national debt and even obesity do something useful. to pizza in western countries did not react strongly to your decision to run for president at the upcoming elections they said it was russia's internal affairs and as angela merkel put it they were ready to work with any legitimate lee elected president you must understand however that politically western states consider you all how do you feel about that and what is going to happen to the reset of russia if u.s. relations which exists as an idea but there's not many signs that it's working. very well the hawk is a good word but you are certainly no doubt. i am

a man and i do not like cliches our foreign policy in the past and today was thought out and aimed at creating a favorable environment for russia's development this means we want to have friendly relations with all of our partners but naturally we have and always will defend our national interests but we have always been a guard full of others when we did it and we plan to maintain that a future. in case of a disagreement or a conflict we will always look for a compromise that would be acceptable both to our partners and our country that what we are not interested in confrontation on the contrary we are interested in cooperation and europe is not a geographical concept because first and foremost it is a cultural concept that we share the same values with europe of course those are mostly christian values but it goes beyond that even those who consider themselves atheists were raised on christian values with russia is a multi-faith country what we have many muslims in russia as well we have judaism

we have buddhism our fourth traditional religion which in our history our culture and traditions make it easy for us to develop harmonious relations with any country of the world and this is exactly what. we are going to do and. it looks like there is another storm brewing stock markets are tumbling and people say the reason we so much the traders themselves can do about it to recall the nurdin market so losing capital the same is true about trish i recently read an article that said there were government needed a new program to counter the next crisis a program that would be like a good scout and a girl short offering an attractive perspective all week supposedly that would help win back businesses interest and stop the prices does your government have such a program and while we're at it since your budget is calculated presuming the price of oil would be a hundred dollars per barrel oil prices are falling by you going to revise the

budget would it be that. you know if we keep talking about the full of the stock market indexes they might never recover russia will grow by four percent this year which is satisfactory china will grow by nine percent which is a good result we have to push for a six to seven percent economic growth figure we managed to deliver that in the pre-crisis years and we will try to do it again as i've said before we will of course try to make our economy more open there are fears however especially in the light of russia's w t o a session that opening it too much might harm it but returning to your metal for a short skirt looks good on some women while others are better off wearing something else what was the longest skirt. but yes other clothes russia turned out to be well equipped for the two thousand and eight two thousand and nine financial crisis what are we dealing with now we are carefully following developments in the global economy and are the world's largest markets that clearly our economy is not

sufficiently diversified at the moment we say that openly to feel more confident the problem is when western countries markets shrink we sell fewer goods and the prices of our good. fall that is taking into account that only forty seven russian industries are represented well in those markets therefore we are gel to have a blow because if we have fifty to one hundred industries represented the situation will be more balanced and we would be able to switch to a floating currency race until that happens our national bank will be forced to somewhat regulate rates generally speaking and we will only be able to say we are ready for any changes in internal trends after our economy is diversified. which mr putin gasper has been facing certain problems in western europe the german offices of gasper all have been searched what is your take on a situation like this one of a major companies. but i'm going to it's quite simple i have repeatedly said in

public that the sellers are always trying to sell the commodity at a higher price it will put you in the buyer's always want to get it cheaper or even free which is better still we're not thinking as we say that you won't get anything for free naturally good at a smaller price yes and that is what they are after and as a result unilateral decisions are taken at the third energy package for example which was adopted retrospectively this is only president this should be considered unacceptable in the modern world but it is don't despite all considerations we think ultimately go behind this course of action is to bring down the cost of the product and to disrupt the market pricing mechanism which is closely connected with the price for crude in russia. it is when you set the price in a centralized manner we depend on crude crude goes up the natural gas price goes up but the crude drops so does the gas price i don't think this is a farsighted approach to pricing because today the price for crude may be fairly high and tomorrow it may plummet and gazprom will suffer losses and the buyers on

the contrary benefit i don't think this is justifiable guess besides the natural gas market is very specific largely. depends on a concrete supplier it is a mistake to introduce a third party in the process or as our partner suggest or a third buyer and a third seller this is to say if the russian gas that has reached the border with western europe should be first sold to a third party that a legal entity that will further sell it to the consumers but i do you know what this scenario can lead to someone will simply be given an opportunity to pocket additional margin and i'm good at the price will not necessarily go down such that what would be a good percentage for united version these elections are trying to get a political forecast out of being bid you know. i'm not asking for any numbers i just ask you what results you would be satisfied let you know in their united russia has to remain the leading political party in the country and the parliament that would be a good result

a way to spank you very much for this to at least defeats into where they believe we are finished with today thank you.

stories smartie tonight over a thousand palestinian prisoners in exchange for one israeli soldier gilad shalit returns home after a massive media campaign but other israelis who had family members missing for years are. also from us law and disorder a new york police officers could face punishment for harsh tactics used against campaigners on wall street. to resist any possible attempts by nato to clear the barricades. and other lines to mounting they move all. this is art.

alone welcome to the tuesday night sports roundup on the first of two think nights of champions league football and here the top story is. always first victory say doing be a scores of. tribes on spall three nil temporarily top of champions league group b. . while medley medal all time greatest olympian michael phelps finally finds his form to take gold at the third world cup swimming stage in moscow. and keeps getting tougher champion evans and fellow riders learn the new even halter route and next year's tour de france. that has bagged a brace to help take on moscow's thrashed turkish side jobs those poor three nil on home ground take the provisional lead in group b. in the champions league going into the much courage needed states have a heavily depleted squad to choose from these linchpin so far this season was the army many in front just before the hostile body midfielder alexander sound up and

then double their lead off the bench lead to a few the second call for. trades the loss now if you travel is full the whole thing it's him i mean it's to go so take out a temporary top of group or taking his ball on goal difference must wait for the results of the other time or in spain in small land and both have the chops to be in the. english premier league leaders match to city also face election problems as they have a beer a all in group a this cheese day rankin side of taking just one point from two games so far and manager about a month cheating has unlimited options up front cost of us is still a virtual at cost of the club after an edge of the refusing to come off the bench and buy in munich in city's previous time mario balotelli is serving the last of a three game european suspension. big summer signings say struggling with a groin injury city a third behind great leaders buying and napoli and can't afford to drop points against to be outside we've suffered two defeats be out of because they play for

the world very well but for us is their really important thing that is not important if we play away or not or not well as important as the way we win this game and that in that if we win this game may be after the printer there are issues that come from. munich in a point but after i think that we care if we win we can win or so the group is possible we have a chance at the. money while rivals manchester united are also looking to kick start their european campaign the three time champions have drawn two games so far and face remaining an outfit autumn will galati in bucharest this tuesday night the star striker wayne rooney needing a strong side united off surge in group c. behind f.c. call and ten feet to play each other in back to back matches something so alex ferguson thinks could benefit his team i do you are a good way when team to win the board games. so. that we're going to go

all the pleasure of is. i think important thing is for us to try to win it way here and that's all the problems. well house where group d. leaders rail madrid have a one hundred percent record and are hosting french side lille themselves could go top with a victory but to a outcoached as a marine you wasn't going to be worried about keeping top spot. it's not easy to win every game in the champions league so it will be no great drama if we don't get it we need a result where top a maximum points which makes us the best place team to win the group but first of all we have to qualify and only after that we'll think about winning the group. well those matches are among eighty european ties taking place this tuesday night and seven have just picked off elsewhere it is a battle between the bottom team in group d. as designers are grabbed taken dutch giants by x. its top thirty second in group c. as well come back bigger in switzerland and leaders by i mean it has been crowned

champions four times have gone to second place not played in group a just one goal less so far. and elsewhere russian champions it's in petersburg will be without captain alexander and you cough and top scorer alexander kerja cough for wednesday night's match at ukrainian champion shots are slowly trying to stretch his men have travelled to do that for their third match in group change defender a new cost prolific strike occurs or go off last night for that alexei were not on board the plane to meet beech porto three one at home last time as it were held to a goalless draw by domestic rivals to have a moscow on saturday the same pieces break side asked second in a group and surprised me just at the well from cyprus all shocked all of the autumn . well water will host up well also wednesday and have been boosted by the return of brazilian striker club where he's been out with a shoulder injury for three weeks is expected to pair up with compact trip hold he missed their latest portuguese cup game there. meaning you rightly champions boast

an enviable home record having lost just one of the last ten your ties to the dugout. but elsewhere chelsea will be looking to cement their narrow lead in group d. as the english giants host the belgian side gang the bottom at stamford bridge the police currently have four points that will have to do without brazil midfielder ramírez striker fernando torres is expected to start despite still struggling to find his red top for a win would put chelsea in firm control of the group but coach and boss is bracing himself for a tough competition the result. you can see that it's a good result but they are what you need is to win the game so. of course they want the three points on the go and see game. what i know about the little guys in the game is that the they created a couple of changes as well but in the world of indian superior so i think i think the group is tight and when we put in the battle again for qualification and that's

what we want to. finally in football russia have learned their opponents for their final match of the year following a comprehensive euro twenty twelve qualifying campaign began because men are set to play former champions greece in a friendly on november the eleventh the capital city of athens is the most likely venue for the game russia book to burst at next summer's european championships after finishing top of group b. ahead of the republic of ireland all greece edged croatia the top spot in group s. . maybe going to swimming now where one of the most decorated athletes in the walls american star michael phelps failed to reach the final of the men's one hundred meter freestyle at a certain stage of the world cup in moscow before eventually finding his form but in the five me to pull that they had n.p.c. sports complex was once the setting for the nine hundred eighty olympics but the fourteen time olympic champion was initially struggling phelps fails to add a last burst of power in the one hundred meter freestyle final and then he improved

in the two hundred meter butterfly to take the bronze for the twenty six year old american did find his form and managed to grab first place in the one hundred meter individual medley. or see hopefully tomorrow we could have a little bit faster something a little bit better racing but you know it's a good first. round can't be too too upset but i could be a lot more happy. ten years now and six seeds but lawmakers that's over has become the latest russian to charge into the second round of the kremlin cup here in moscow this is time grand slam when i was hardly ever troubled during a straight set when i least told me that france and joined in round two pile-o. called up and come up to sing a person like you had better as a pakistani possible boy about. the n.f.l. now and the new york jets ended their three game losing streak by winning twenty four six at home to miami have now lost all five of their opening games well the pressure was on the jets coach rex ryan to end his team's slide while the dolphins

were desperate to taste victory for the first time this season and even though the visitors enjoyed an early lead with a field goal it's even went horribly wrong much more throw was intercepted by darrelle revis who ran one hundred yards for a touchdown to make it seven three to the jets the dolphins narrowed the gap with another field goal but at the end of the half the jets were fourteen six in front of the mark sanchez opted to dive into the end zone for a five yard touchdown and the quarterback then sealed the victory for the jets when he found san antonio irons we swerved his way up the field for another touchdown so a twenty four six victory for the jets the dolphins and are winning this in five games for the second time in five years as a pressure mounts on their coach has fire on them. now despite the tour de france already being the world's most grueling cycling rice the organizers have planned for it to become even tougher as the route for next year's edition was unveiled in

paris steep mountain climbs and longer time trials were offered even more challenges to defending champion evans and his fellow riders in twenty twelve the route is just short of a staggering three and a half thousand kilometers in nearly one hundred of those will be individual time trials the race which will be held for the ninety ninth time will start in the ash in belgium on june thirtieth while the changes will care for those taking part to adapt to the new conditions. a myth mix of everything especially the first oil given the. first stages it's a little bit a little bit i'm still role reversal a bit less versed on their style of racing and then i really get into bigger mountains and of course long long long and probably flight of time trials on the shame in which i was going to a different style of race and. finally golf and it seems that being top of the world is no guarantee against the us has as the young and apparently all conquering

yani tseng has admitted she's feeling the stress ahead of the first ever tournament on a high while and of taiwan saying became the youngest ever player male or female to win five majors when she lifted the british open trophy in july at the tender age of just twenty two bus despite the speech the taiwanese the still anxious to close the partisan home crowd at the inaugural l.p.g. a time when a championship will get underway on thursday however all the golfing elite including world number two susan patterson will be there to try and shine saying on home soil. because we've been working on this german almost almost two years and everybody working so hard for the all of a very exciting all of government is very supportive cheering reshoots he's working very hard for this to be a title title tournaments so we're over exciting in the whole ball of players enjoy this week and i think we're going to have a great memory here and that's all the sport is saving by fire.

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coromandel you can a was hotel close leisure hutto sedated to go and park lawyers run this and the kennel was hoto as a retreat of. israeli soldier gilad shalit who is now free and back in israel after five years of captivity in gaza that the families of other missing israeli soldiers say the government is doing nothing to bring their boys home. team to nod law and this older new york police officers could face punishment for harsh tactics used against anti colbert campaigners on wall street. kosovan serbs diggin to resist any possible attempts by nato to clear their border barricades of their lines demanding they move all be moved.