- Title: Putin curbs anti-Western rhetoric, says wants to get on with Trump
- Date: 1st December 2016
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 1, 2016) (RUSSIAN POOL) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN MAKING STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (PARTLY OVERLAID BY SHOT OF OFFICIALS LISTENING) "We don't want confrontation with anyone, not us, not our partners, nor the world community need it. Unlike some of our foreign colleagues, which view Russia as an opponent, we are not seeking and have never sought enemies. We need friends. But we will not allow anyone to infringe upon or ignore our interests." AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (PARTLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS OF OFFICIALS) "I will stress once again, Russia's active policy in the east is not dictated by some day to day topical interests or cooling of relations with the United States of America or the European Union, but by the long-term national interests and by global development tendencies. In the current difficult situation, Russia-China strategic partnership has become one of the key factors in ensuring global and regional stability. It serves as a model of international relations based not on the idea of one country's domination, no matter how strong it is, but on an all-encompassing respect for the interests of all states." PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING (PARTLY OVERLAID BY SHOT OF OFFICIAL): "One of the most important directions of Russia's foreign policy is development of an especially privileged strategic partnership with India. The results of Russian-Indian talks at the highest level in Goa in October confirmed that our countries have huge potential to deepen cooperation in all different spheres." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (PARTLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS OF OFFICIALS) "We hope for quality progress in relations with our eastern neighbour - Japan. We welcome a desire by the leadership of this country to develop economic relations with Russia, to launch joint projects, programmes. We are also ready for cooperation with the new U.S. administration. It is important to normalise and start developing bilateral relations on equal and mutually beneficial grounds." AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "Cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in solving global and regional issues is in the interests of the whole world. We have a shared responsibility to ensure international security and stability, to strengthen regimes of non-proliferation (of weapons)." PUTIN SPEAKING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (PARTLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS OF OFFICIALS "We count on uniting our efforts with the United States to fight real and not a made up threat - which is international terrorism. It is exactly this goal that our servicemen are trying to achieve in Syria. Terrorists suffered significant damage. The Russian army and navy have convincingly demonstrated that they are able to work effectively far away from their permanent deployment bases." AUDIENCE APPLAUDING
- Embargoed: 16th December 2016 11:55
- Keywords: Russia president. Vladimir Putin state of the nation address USA Trump interests Asia
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA0015B1XU87
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: President Vladimir Putin struck an unusually conciliatory tone in his annual state of the nation address on Thursday (December 1), saying Moscow wanted to get on with the incoming U.S. administration and was looking to make friends not enemies.
Putin has used previous set-piece speeches to lash out at the West and the United States in particular, but he reined in his criticism this time and focused most of his speech on domestic social and economic issues.
Putin said Russia would stand up for its own interests, but had no intention of getting involved in any geopolitical confrontations.
He added Russia would not tolerate any attempts to damage its interests.
Any U.S.-Russia co-operation would have to be mutually beneficial and even-handed, he said.
Putin has spoken previously of his hope that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may help restore tattered U.S.-Russia relations, and analysts said he was unlikely to want to dial up anti-Western rhetoric before Trump's inauguration in January.
The Russian leader said he was hoping to find common ground with Washington on fighting global terrorism in particular.
"We count on uniting our efforts with the United States to fight real and not a made up threat - which is international terrorism. It is exactly this goal that our servicemen are trying to achieve in Syria," he said.
Russia hopes Trump will give Russia a freer hand there and cooperate militarily to fight Islamic State.
The main target of Putin's speech appeared to be the Russian people though.
His message was that the worst of a grinding economic crisis was in the past and that it was now time to focus on improving living standards by investing more heavily in education and health.
The next presidential election takes place in 2018, and though he has not said yet if he will seek another term, Putin is widely expected to run. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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