| Moscow, July 1, 2002 (from RIA Novosti correspondent
Oleg Osipov)
Leaders of the Duma factions and associations are pleased with
the results of their meeting with the Russian president in the
Kremlin.
As State Duma speaker Gennady Seleznyov said, the meeting represented
an informal exchange of views. He also noted that the government
sets the dates for submitting laws and then violates them.
Unity faction leader Vladimir Pekhtin said, for his part, that
the questions discussed at the meeting dealt with power generation.
Besides, deputies expressed, according to Pekhtin, their own opinion
on domestic Russian and international issues. Pekhtin expressed
hope that the President would be able to form his own opinion
from these comments.
Yabloko faction leader Grigory Yavlinsky said that the latest
events in the North Caucasus were discussed during the conversation.
He said that they reached, a consensus that it was now necessary
to draw up plans for the autumn to prevent a build-up of tension
in the region, and also to consider the approaching winter. In
addition, according to Yavlinsky, while discussing small business
issues, Vladimir Putin agreed that the adopted laws were not sufficient
to develop this segment of the economy.
According to Yavlinsky, the need to establish a single tax on
small businesses was emphasised. Yavlinsky pointed out that the
president and leaders of Duma factions and associations had agreed
to examine the question in detail.
In addition, deputies said that relations with Belarus were also
discussed. In their view, it is necessary to begin in earnest
the construction of a union state and to identify the underlying
principle – as a single state or similar to the European
Union.
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