Putin delivers gov't work report
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E-mail Xinhua, April 12, 2012
Political system to be more flexible
In his address, Putin urged all political forces to end political battles and work together for the country's development.
Russia had withstood "a very tense period" of parliamentary elections and the presidential election, Putin said, adding that echoes of heightened emotions and political battles still existed.
"But the logic of a mature democracy is that elections come to an end and will be followed by a more important period of joint work," he said.
Meanwhile, Putin said he would support a motion that barred a person from being elected to the presidency more than twice in the Constitution. But he also hinted he might still be able to run for president again in 2018
"I think it's reasonable to remove the phrase 'two consecutive terms' and leave just 'two terms,' it is possible to consider this," Putin said in answering journalists' questions after his address.
"But the law is not retroactive, so from the moment it is adopted, I can work for the following two terms, there is no problem here. But - if the situation allows," he said.
During his speech, deputies from the opposition party A Just Russia walked out in protest but Putin dismissed it as a "part of normal political struggle."
"We should respect each other, to listen and hear the minority, both parliamentary and non-parliamentary ones. We all must increase the political culture, staying within the existing legal system," he said.
The faction of A Just Russia is enraged by Putin's reluctance to intervene in a hunger strike by party activist Oleg Shein in the southern city of Astrakhan.
Russia should mind its strategic interests
Turning to international affairs, Putin criticized NATO for "poking their noses where they should not" and called the alliance "a relic of the Cold War."
He reaffirmed the Russian city of Ulyanovsk would not host a NATO military base but only a facility for their cargo planes to stop over.
Meanwhile, Putin also admitted that NATO played a "stabilizing" role in world affairs, such as in Afghanistan.
"This is in Russia's interests," Putin said.
Putin also welcomed the signals Moscow had received from Tripoli that the new Libyan authorities wanted to restore cooperation with Russia.
He stressed Russia "did not offer any gifts" to Libya but Moscow signed several contracts with the North African country instead.
"Russia should always take its strategic interests into account and protect them. If our economy is efficient, we will be attractive for cooperation regardless of changes of political regimes in other countries, " Putin said.
Russian did not lose much as a result of the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, he said.
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