Press. voanews.com
President
Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is "ready to cooperate" with
the administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, adding that it is
"important to normalize and develop bilateral relations on an equal and
mutually beneficial basis."
Speaking
during his annual "state of the nation" address to the Russian
parliament and the Federal Council, Putin said cooperation between Russia and
the United States "in addressing global and regional issues" is
"in the interest of the whole world."
The two
countries "share responsibility for ensuring international security and
stability, strengthening non-proliferation regimes," he said, adding that
any attempt to break "strategic parity" would be "extremely
dangerous" and could lead to "a global catastrophe."
Putin
said he is counting on "an alliance with the United States in the struggle
against a real, not an imaginary threat — international terrorism." The
Russian military, he said, is accomplishing that task in Syria, where it has
inflicted "significant damage" on "terrorists."
During
the U.S. presidential campaign, Republican candidate Trump praised Putin's
leadership and criticized Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton for
speaking "very badly" of Putin. Several days after Trump's election
victory, the Kremlin said he and Putin had agreed in a telephone call that
U.S.-Russian relations were “unsatisfactory” and that they should work together
to improve them.
In his
speech Thursday, the Russian president also emphasized his country's
relationship with China, stating that "the Russian-Chinese comprehensive
partnership and strategic cooperation" is a key factor "for ensuring
global and regional stability."
The bulk
of Putin's speech focused on domestic issues.
He noted
that 2017 will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1917 revolutions that
overthrew the tsar and ushered in Communist rule. While he said that this
historical legacy must be treated with "respect," he also called it
"unacceptable" to "drag the splits, anger, resentment and
bitterness of the past into our present life."
Putin
also discussed health care and education. Acknowledging that disregard for
patients is widespread among Russian doctors, he called for developing
high-tech patient-centered care. He also said Russian education must be
revitalized to teach children “independent thinking” and develop their
creativity.
Putin
delivered his first annual address to Russia's parliament in 2000 and six more
between 2001 and 2007. The Russian constitution bars a president from serving
more than two consecutive terms, and in 2008, Putin assumed the post of prime
minister. In December 2008, a new constitutional amendment extended the
president's term from four to six years.
In his
previous annual "state of the nation" speeches, Putin has quoted
Russian philosophers. In 2013, he cited Nikolai Berdyaev, the Russian Christian
existentialist philosopher. In 2014, it was the Russian émigré political and
religious philosopher Ivan Ilyin. Last year, Putin chose Dmitri Mendeleyev, the
founder of Moscow State University.
This
time, Putin turned to 20th century thinker Alexei Losev, referring to him as an
"outstanding Russian and Soviet philosopher." The president chose a
quote from Losev on sacrifice and suffering as a part of Russian national
character.
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