26 February 2004 14:33
Russian acting premier chairs first government session in his new capacity
[Presenter] The Russian government is in session that is being chaired by the acting prime minister, Viktor
Khristenko. Issues on the agenda include: development of the social and economic sphere, namely a draft law on
amendments and additions to the tax code and the law on insolvency which the Economic Development and Trade Ministry
considers excessively tough. Several laws aimed at making things easier for small business will also be considered. As
far as the social sphere is concerned, the main issue on the agenda is the development of the mortgage system.
[Khristenko] A number of concept draft laws aim primarily at improving the situation for all participants in the
process. This involves cutting the costs of borrowing and thereby cutting the price of loans, as well as reducing
creditors' risks. Ultimately, we must give a fairly clear-cut response concerning the protection of all the
participants and all the parties in the process.
[In an report at 0644 gmt on 26 Feb 04, ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian, said that unlike his predecessor,
Mikhail Kasyanov, Khristenko began the session practically on time. He was only five or six minutes late. He was visibly
nervous and did not consult any papers while addressing the cabinet. The agency noticed certain changes in the seating
plan. The acting deputy prime minister and acting agriculture minister, Aleksey Gordeyev, sat to the right of the
premier, while acting Deputy Prime Minister Boris Aleshin took Khristenko's former seat to the left of the premier.
ITAR-TASS quoted the government information department as saying that the changes were linked with the "technical
relocation of cabinet ministers following Viktor Khristenko's move to the post of acting prime minister and also
are connected to the fact that acting Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin, who normally sits to the right of the
chairperson, is away on a business trip to Krasnoyarsk."]
[Russia TV] |
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