Part 14
Speaking during his annual televised Q&A session with the public,Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin
The session lasted for about three hours. The Russian Prime Minister and the leader of the most popular Russian political party, United Russia, covered a variety of issues ranging from the global financial crisis to relations with Europe and the United States to purely domestic topics.


В прямом эфире телеканалов «Россия» и «Вести», радиостанций «Маяк» и «Радио России» Владимир Путин Председатель Правительства и лидер партии «Единая Россия» ответил на вопросы, поступившие в общественные приемные Председателя партии, заданные по телефону, sms, а также через сайт программы.Трансляция идет из Гостиного двора в Москве.

PAVEL ZARUBIN: Hallo, Moscow. Good afternoon, Mr Putin.

Welcome to Khabarovsk, the capital of the Far East, the city whose picture adorns the 5,000 rouble note and which has more than once been named as the most comfortable city in Russia to live.

It also has perhaps one of the best perinatal centres in the country, which is where we are at the moment. A new building is to be opened here tomorrow. The doctors here will use state-of-the-art technology to bring babies to life, even if they are in a critical condition.

Today the Centre's staff, patients and simply people who live in Khabarovsk have all gathered here. I think, let's get down to questions. So, raise your hands if you want to ask a question.

Though it's a perinatal centre, the young man there has raised his hand the highest. Introduce yourself, please.

STANISLAV KHARIZOV: Good afternoon. My name is Stanislav Kharizov, and I'm a student. I am very fond of my little sister, and I always worry about her, and this leads me to my question.

Throughout the last year all my family including myself had queued up for a very long time to get her a place at a kindergarten, and we had to confirm every month, standing in queues, that we wanted my sister to go to that particular kindergarten. I realised talking to the people in these huge crowds that there are not enough kindergartens in our city. However, passing by the kindergarten where I went when I was a child, I saw with regret that it had been turned into a hotel for the Chinese.

Mr Putin, I would like to ask a question. I expect to have a family of my own at some time in the future. How will this issue, this mess be dealt with in the future?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: I am sorry if that sector in Khabarovsk is in a mess. But judging from the fact that you are now at a top-level health centre, there are also many positive things in Khabarovsk.

I know your Governor well. Viktor Ishayev is an efficient and very experienced man, he knows which link in the chain to pull first, as our classics used to say, in order to pull the whole chain. As for kindergartens, it is true that there are not enough of them. Part of the reason is the growing birthrate.

I cannot help being glad at what is happening in this sphere. In spite of many problems, the Government's efforts are bringing results. The birthrate this year has grown by about 7 percent, the highest growth in the last 15 years. I won't cite the absolute figures, but it is about 7 percent.

As for kindergartens, that is above all the responsibility of the regions and cities. At the federal level, we will do everything to encourage that work, we will help the regions to do it, but I would like to tell you that the shortage of places at kindergartens all over Russia has dropped by 30 percent in 2008 alone. That is a major step forward.

If the problem is not being solved as quickly as it should be in the Khabarovsk Territory, I think that Viktor Ishayev and the people who work with him, his team, should pay more attention to this. Let me repeat, if necessary, the Government, the federal centre, is prepared to help.

ERNEST MACKEVICIUS: Khabarovsk, stay on the line, I've seen some raised hands, and they are probably questions about similar issues.

Dmitry, let us have another question for the Prime Minister.

DMITRY SEDOV: Yes, Ernest, we are ready to join in the conversation. Who will ask a question? Let's have a question from a woman. Please introduce yourself and ask your question.

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