The leader of the Yabloko association Grigory Yavlinsky discussed with RF President Vladimir Putin Yabloko’s proposals on the transfer to a voluntary contract-based principle of formation of the army during the meeting in Kremlin on December 5, 2000.

Analysing the draft budget for 2001, the Yabloko faction uncovered 88 billion roubles that the government did not take consider the revenue part of the budget that are not directly linked to oil prices. The Yabloko faction proposes allocating most of these funds to military reform, as reflected in the Proposals to the governmental draft budget for 2001 that was officially submitted to the Cabinet at the beginning of autumn.

According to Yavlinsky, which he expressed in the conversation with the President, in spring 2001 army conscription could be reduced considerably. Yavlinsky said that the President confirmed his interest in continuing their dialogue on this issue.

Other issues to be debated at the meeting of the President with the leader of the Yabloko faction, which lasted over three hours, were as follows: the work of the government, the socio-economic situation in the country and measures that should be taken in the event of a considerable drop in the oil prices next year. Yabloko’s proposals on the settlement of the crisis in Maritime Territory that were submitted to the President and the Prime Minister last week were also discussed at the meeting.

According to Yavlinsky, one of his tasks during the meting with the President was to convince Vladimir Putin that the decision to support the music of the USSR hymn as the State Hymn of Russia was erroneous. “However, I failed to convince the President of this fact,” added Yavlinsky.

Speaking about the problems of federative reform, Yavlinsky pointed out to the President the need to develop local government as an obligatory condition for successful reform.

One more topic concerned the idea of creating a Russian-European anti-missile defence system, proposed by Grigory Yavlinsky as early as 1998. This may, on the one hand make it possible to overcome confrontation with the USA that has discussed the creation of its own anti-missile defence system and will on the other hand, radically improve the position of the Russian military-industrial complex, supplying it with orders.

The situation in Chechnya was also discussed.

After the meeting both the parties expressed their mutual willingness to

continue discussing these and other issues.

See also:

The budget has the money to start tackling the main issues in the country: military reform, a qualitative improvement in education and judicial reform.