Putin at the World Youth Festival

Putin gives the event a thumbs-up!

There’re times when yes the event isn’t spontaneous and is staged like the meeting related to the above photo but it’s remains a joy. The 6-minute video of that meeting is here, while there’s an English transcript that can be found here. But Putin didn’t just meet with this small group. Prior to taking the stage with festival participants, he toured some of the exhibits and capped his participation by presiding over the Closing Ceremony.

Closing Ceremony paid homage to all Immortal Regiments

IMO, Putin greatly enjoys these interludes away from the task of governance and dons the hat of Russia’s #1 emcee. IMO, it’s noteworthy that these next two events aren’t provided by the English Kremlin page as was the case with the small group meeting. The format chosen was to have the closing ceremony first then a feedback discussion session afterwards. So, here’s President Putin closing the show:

Vladimir Putin: Hello! Good evening, dear friends!

I'm sure you're in a good mood today. But surely there is also a bit of sadness, because you will have to part with those whom you now call friends, with your new friends.

When we asked you to come to Russia, we set ourselves quite simple tasks. We wanted to create conditions of freedom, creativity, and friendship that would allow you to communicate with each other, find new friends, and maybe partners for your future projects. I hope that we have succeeded. (Applause.) Thank you so much for this review.

But you did even better than we expected. It is you who have created here, in the south of Russia, a real city of the world's youth. Thank you.

You're so different. I look at the audience: everyone is very different. I have just met with young people from different countries who study at Russian universities. Everyone is so different. How did you manage to create this city of the world's youth? How, if they are so different? And apparently, there is something that unites us all. Today in Russia, we call this our traditional values. This is the foundation of our life, our being. This means that there is something that we all have in common. And the first thing that comes to mind is that despite the fact that we look different-just look at those young people over there-hello! – to understand that we are different in appearance, skin color, maybe something else ‒ but there is something that unites us all. What's it? Yes, we are all human beings! And we are all equal!

And if we are all equal, then there is no place in the world for any exclusivity. There is no place in the world for any swagger, segregation and all the phenomena that are based on this distorted ground of exclusivity of anyone.

We are all equal from the moment we are born. We are all equal from the moment when we are thanks to mom and dad ‒ and this is how people are born today, there is no other way, even with modern technology. There is always a masculine and feminine principle.

By the way, many countries around the world will soon celebrate International Women's Day. Let's applaud our women and girls!

So we are born equal, but the question is: do we grow, do we develop in equal conditions? Answer: Unfortunately, no. There are no equal conditions in the world for everyone. This is the main injustice of today's world order, today's world.

And if you ask me: is it possible to make sure that everyone is on an equal footing and grows up on an equal footing, develops, reveals their talents for the benefit of their loved ones, their family, their country, and perhaps the whole of humanity? I don't know. But what I do know is that we should all strive for it. Even the very fact that we will strive for this will make the world more transparent, fairer, more democratic, more stable, balanced and more secure.

Dear friends!

You came to Russia and made a lot of friends here. I want you to know that all of Russia is now your friend. Our doors are always open for you, for all your noble endeavors.

I am sure you will have a lot of success. One of the slogans of today's festival is "Starting the future together". Let's assume that the future has begun. But what it will be-depends on you.

I wish you every success. Be happy! [My Emphasis]

I wonder how Western propagandists will spin that, or will they even try? IMO, Putin’s outstanding words and vision will be buried; and if talked about, vilified. Currently, there are no full-length videos of the closing ceremony showing all the entertainment. As Sputnik India put it, “Friendship’s the best propaganda.”

And now to the auditorium for the discussion between Putin and participants in the Festival:

Alexander Pashkov: Mr President, the whole world is with us – 190 countries that have come to Russia. Despite some difficulties that were created in some countries, despite some logistical difficulties, they fought for the right to be here, at the World Youth Festival. And of course, most of all they were looking forward to meeting you. Especially when they saw this heartfelt appeal at the opening ceremony, they kept asking when it was-and here it is. Let me give you a word of welcome.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

The first thing I want to say is that we are very happy to see you all in Russia. Welcome.

Farther. We are very pleased to have such a broad representation from almost 190 countries, from all continents. But I want to emphasize something. We don't compete with anyone, we don't want to prove anything to anyone. We're just happy to see our friends. What is very important is that this meeting and similar forums are organized by us not for some kind of show-off, as we say. This is not some kind of advertising event, it is essential. And its essence is to bring together people who think roughly like us, roughly, because everyone can't think the same way, who adhere to approximately the same principles and values as we do, and who want to work together to achieve a positive result for themselves, for their relatives, for their countries. We are open to this work.

As I just said at the closing of this big event, which turned out to be a big event, here, side by side, we really hope that you enjoyed it.

And of course, this meeting, which we have just started, is dedicated to getting feedback from you, and I would like to hear your advice on how and what needs to be done to ensure that the next meetings of this kind, maybe not in such a broad format, but rather in the following format:, in continuation of what we managed to do at this International Festival, so that we can move forward to achieve our common goals, common development goals.

To be honest, I would be interested to hear your opinion on the results of the work and what could be done as the next steps.

As a matter of fact, this is probably all I would like to say at the beginning.

Alexander Pashkov: Mr President, Ksenia and I will help moderate the project. There are a lot of countries, a lot of questions. The guys and I had a little chat before.

If I may, come on, we have one of the most representative delegations here today – this is the Chinese one.

In addition, this year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with China, and a number of formats at the festival were dedicated to this. Let's let them get started. Do we have any friends from China? Yes, please.

:(as translated)Zhong Li Your Excellency, Mr. President,

My name is Zhong Li and I'm from China. I'm a department reporter for China News Daily. Thank you very much for your hospitality, for the openness of the discussion of the discussion.

I have a question for you about what you said. You hope that the festival will open up opportunities for all members of the younger generation to interact with their peers. There were a very large number of applications for participation.

In other words, we realized that there are no borders for young people. However, today the world is going through difficult times of shifts and transformations. Economic recovery is difficult, geopolitical conflicts are multiplying, and unilateral approaches are taking place. How can young people view the world today? As the leader of the largest country, how do you think the situation will improve? What can young people do to improve the situation? What is your opinion?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, the situation is really difficult, and there are a lot of problems, many hot spots.

What's far to go? We have a conflict with our neighbors-fighting is going on, where is it even more problematic? It's always a tragedy when people are at war with each other. People die, get injured, and so on. Is it easier all over the world?

Throughout the entire history of mankind, almost the same thing happens, sometimes more, sometimes less. The question is how to live in such conditions and what you can count on.

Of course, you always need to think about a better future. Of course, we should strive to create conditions where there will be fewer conflicts and more cooperation.

It is clear that there are also problems in the economic sphere, in the social sphere, and in the security sphere. But if young people like you, who are engaged in different fields of activity, meet, listen and listen to each other, then it will be easier for those who make decisions at the political level today to lean towards conflict resolution options that lead not only to peace, but also create stability for the future.

Therefore, in my opinion, this is already the role of young people, and in the future – it is clear to everyone – one generation comes to replace another, this is a natural thing. If you have constant contacts at the current stage of your professional growth, and from different countries, even from those countries that currently have not the best relations with each other, this will still form a stable basis for future creative life together.

Kristina Yanova: Thank you very much.

Vladimir Vladimirovich, as Anton has already said, we have met our audience.

And, of course, during the festival, questions about unfriendly countries were raised more than once. We have jointly come to the conclusion that there are no unfriendly countries, there are unfriendly elites of individual countries. But when we talk about young people, it's only about friendship.

I invite you to hear the opinions and questions of our festival participants. Maybe the countries of the West, Europe, are willing to ask a question?

:(as translated)M.Kovacs Dear Mr. President,

My name is Mathias Kovacs. I'm from Belgium, I'm an anaesthetist, I work in intensive care as well. I have a question, I want to ask it in Russian.

(In Russian.) This is my eighth time in Russia. I love your country and your culture very much. I also want to say that it really helped me to learn Russian when I watched the TV series Interns. Maybe you've seen it, you know.

I want to tell you that I was able to get acquainted with medicine in Russia and completed an internship in intensive care in Moscow. It was a very interesting professional experience for me.

Participation in this forum gave me the opportunity to see once again with my own eyes that Russia is a country of advanced technologies, especially in medicine, and is always ready to accept people who want to come here to work.

Do you have any advice for young people who want to move to Russia and understand the Russian soul?

Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you for mentioning the Russian soul. It's such a complex substance. In any case, we have something that sets us apart from other countries in the world.

What is it? We co-exist and develop in a variety of cultures, religions, and traditions. All this together is a space that allows us to exchange not only the genetic code with each other from year to year, from decade to decade, from century to century, because there are so many mixed families in the Russian space, but also to exchange the cultural code.

A certain community is being created, a single Russian nation. It is really based on the values that we call traditional today, even if we are not very aware of what they are.

In this sense, the Russian general culture is somewhat unique. It is interesting and diverse, and it really makes sense to get to know it better, especially for people who live abroad in Russia, to understand what it is. Once you understand this, work with us openly and profitably, both for yourself and for those with whom you work.

By the way, Belgium – as you probably know – appeared on the world map as an independent state largely due to Russia and Russia's position.

It doesn't matter today, but it does matter that we have our own history of relations with many countries of the world, and, as a rule, it is positive.

As for your type of activity, it is a noble work, and I have said this many times. These are common things, but nevertheless I want to repeat. You can just learn everything formally and probably be a good anesthesiologist, a good doctor, but in order to be very good, talented, you need to have character traits, you need to have the very soul that you mentioned, to devote yourself to other people, to have compassion. In this sense, you will certainly find good partners here.

We have our own achievements. There are some things we still need to work on. We have very large programs in the field of medicine. We have achievements in the field of cardiovascular surgery, in some other areas. We have a huge program to fight cancer and diabetes. We have our own big achievements.

You know, I know of cases of cooperation. So far, despite all the restrictions imposed by certain countries for political reasons, I know examples where specialists in your field work in spite of everything, because humanistic principles are very strong here. Moreover, I know of cases when people have some kind of quasi-political difficulties, and, you know, despite everything, despite any propaganda, despite different views on certain processes, I have often heard, I almost quote, especially when they say to patients in Russia: "We will always be with you." You know, we have great respect for such people. Do not doubt that we will always have exactly the same attitude on our part.

Alexander Pashkov: Mr President, the guys and I have said that many people arrived without knowing a single word of Russian, but when they leave, they will know it. But now I will say: I saw a young man in Kamchatka stretch out his hand, as they say in our universities about those who sit in the back rows. They probably don't understand what this means yet. Please introduce yourself.

:(as translated)To.Maupin My name is Caleb Maupin. I am the head of the American delegation, the head of the Public Relations Center.

I want to sincerely thank you for the wonderful interview you gave Tucker Carlson.

In your interview, you made it clear to a lot of young Americans that our American leaders, and by the way, they are increasingly pushing the scandal, and you prefer a long-term and scientifically based vision. For many young Americans, this is very different from what they hear at home, thanks to your interview.

Now to the question. Currently, relations between our countries are rather strained. We had a press conference at the UN, and there are trials: Three Americans are facing criminal charges, and one faces 15 years in prison simply because they came to a press conference like this. We are concerned.

I know I speak for the majority of the American people when I say, " We don't want our tax money going to Ukraine. We don't want our country to be destroyed from within while politicians spend money on the Ukrainian war."

In this context, I disagree with Biden's policy not only on Ukraine, but also on the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan. I know that there is a possibility of peace.

At this festival, I saw an amazing thing. A huge number of volunteers, young people who showed love for the country, who simply showed civic consciousness. What role can such events play and how young diplomacy can set the stage for future changes, including in the United States, taking into account the expectations of the majority of people living in our countries?

Thanks

Vladimir Putin: The United States is a huge and unique country in its own way. Just something (by our standards, this is very small) in 300 years, thanks to the talent of the American people, it has become a superpower. This is an obvious fact.

We also know prominent American politicians, prominent American businessmen and cultural figures. This is all an immutable thing.

We were allies in two world wars, in the fight against Nazism and fascism. What happened recently? We know that after the war, after the alliance, the United States and the Soviet Union began to divide the world, successfully divided it, and on this balance of power they built international relations and created a modern system of international law. Then the Soviet Union ceased to exist for a number of reasons, which I will not go into now, first of all, of course, internal reasons, but there was only one superpower left in the person of your country. How your elites took advantage of this monopoly on world domination is the question.

I believe that the United States has not coped with this burden of responsibility that has fallen on its shoulders. They created a monopoly and began to strengthen it. I don't mean the American people, but the ruling elites. But, while strengthening their monopoly, they very quickly faced the fact that the vast majority of countries in the world do not really like it. And latently, gradually, everyone saw that resistance to this emerging world order was growing. Everyone saw it, a lot of people, at least, by the way, including your allies. They just keep quiet, they are afraid to say an extra word, because there is a lot of dependence in the economy, in the media, well, there are a lot of elements of dependence. But believe me, I know what I'm talking about, and even the allies don't like it very much.

Well, that's where the problems and glitches started. At first, the ruling elites of the United States decided that since they now have a monopoly on power in the world, the former system of international relations that was formed as a result of World War II is no longer necessary for them, it does not suit them. Because the balance in the world has changed, that's all, and we need to start rebuilding the international legal order to suit ourselves. What do I mean by that? The events in Iraq, for example, were still carried out there without UN Security Council sanctions, in the same Syria, in the former Yugoslavia. I won't talk about the reasons now, but there were no decisions of the UN Security Council, were there? Did not have. The United States released this genie from the bottle. But if they are allowed, why aren't other countries allowed to protect their core interests in the same way?

What happened in the same Yugoslavia? My colleagues have repeatedly told me: "Well, yes, we did it without a decision of the Security Council, but there was a war there for so many years – 8 years of bloodshed, something had to be done." And when Russia started protecting its people in the Donbas, where there was also a war and the extermination of civilians-children, women, the elderly-why can't Russia do this, stand up for its people? And not somewhere thousands of kilometers away from their national borders, but right next to them, under their noses. Moreover, people turned to us and waited for this help.

I don't want to go into details right now, I just want to say: is there any understanding that the world cannot be controlled from one center, and this is even harmful for this center itself, because it begins to undermine its foundations? In an interview with your journalist, Mr. Carlson, I just said that the dollar is being undermined, and payments in dollars are prohibited. Why they do this, your superiors, is completely unclear. That is, of course, they want to achieve a quick result, but they do not achieve a result, they only seek to undermine the power of the dollar. This is the opposite of the expected result. And so on in so many ways. I think this is a flawed policy.

But young people, if we return to your question, of course, can do a lot. I don't want to interfere in domestic political processes right now, and I don't want to give a description of how presidential candidates behave. These are features of the internal political culture of the United States, nothing more. But young people, of course, can contribute to building interstate relations. How? Yes, very simple. Simply state your position within the country within the framework of the law and the Constitution of your country or your countries. This is the only way to act. In no case do we call for any acts of disobedience. But can a person say their position in a democratic country? Maybe. This is what we need to do, and I think that this will create such non-state forms of contacts that will create conditions for equalizing relations at the state level.

Thanks for the question.

To.Yanova: I suggest that we continue walking through the gallery, as they say in Russia.

Please ask your question.

Al-Hawas: Al-salamu alaikum.

Vladimir Putin: Alaikum al-salam.

A. Havas: Thank you.

(As translated.) Good evening everyone!

Mr. President, thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful moment with us. My name is Amir Hawas, from Egypt. I recently graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, and the graduation ceremony coincided with the day I flew to Sochi. So I didn't make it to the ceremony. But for me, it turns out that the festival was the day of graduation from my school.

In addition to medicine, I work in a team of peace ambassadors in Egypt. We work with the global community, help deliver humanitarian aid to people, and empower young people to become leaders in their communities. We are currently working on an international project that aims to unite activists from different countries, send volunteers to different countries, and implement projects in different countries: both at home and at home.

I heard about the "We are Together" award. There, my team was selected twice: we were included in the list of finalists in 2021, and I became a finalist for this award in 2022. I was in Moscow, where I participated in the Civil Participation forum. It was an incredible experience for me. The "We are Together" award is a wonderful humanitarian field, a wonderful project. Thanks to him, we are here, achieving our goals, realizing our dreams.

As for volunteering. As a volunteer, I am extremely impressed with the World Youth Festival. People are smiling, friendly. I want to thank them. I know that there are more than 5 thousand volunteers at the festival. Thank you to all of them.

I would like to ask you, Mr. President: how is the volunteer community being created in Russia? And how can we ensure that so many people are included in the overall work?

Vladimir Putin: First of all, I would like to address your colleague from Belgium. If you want to communicate with Russian doctors, please do so right here.

And the second is about how the work of volunteer movements is organized. We have already talked about the Russian soul, but I want to say without any jokes, without any irony: but still, the peoples of Russia have this feeling of compassion in their hearts. This is passed down from the parents – from the mother, from the father to the children, and so on, from generation to generation. And so this desire to help other people, to support them in general, I repeat, corresponds to our spiritual tradition. But such volunteer work in itself – we have always had a lot of volunteers, including during the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War, even in the most difficult days, at the turning points of Russia's history, in the most difficult times. A lot of people voluntarily went to the front, just as many are still taking part in combat operations today, in order to finally end the war that was unleashed back in 2014 in the Donbas.

And the volunteer movement as such today, you know, it began its development with the preparation of the Olympic Games just here, in Sochi, in 2014. Then, of course, another such powerful push, as you probably know, was given during the fight against COVID, when so many people risked themselves (and some even died), helped our other citizens, selflessly, offering a shoulder, helping them fight the disease or avoid it.

We have, of course, started to support this movement, to create appropriate platforms that would help these people who voluntarily devote themselves to serving society or holding any specific major events, and we are very happy that millions of people (now millions) are involved in this creative joint work.

As for working together, of course, as you know, all these platforms are developing quite actively. We are happy to invite you. You have graduated from a higher educational institution, but I do not know what your future plans are: either to return home, to your homeland, to Egypt, or to get additional education in Russia, to do something together. And if you are planning to develop volunteerism in your country, you can also take our experience, in any case, all the positive things that we have developed, we will be happy to share.

I can only wish you success. This is a noble cause.

Alexander Pashkov: We have already launched the fourth "We are Together" award here, at the festival, on the sidelines of the festival. I mean the fourth one, which has international status. Thanks to your decision, it will have international status starting in 2021. Even there, there were some surprises: there, right on the stage, a marriage proposal was made, so that volunteering not only unites countries, but also unites hearts.

Vladimir Putin: I applaud you.

Young people raise their hand, please give us a microphone. You are welcome.

Dmitry Kukarskikh: Mr President, hello.

Vladimir Putin: Good morning.

Dmitry Kukarskikh: I'm Dasha Kukarskikh. I am a theater and film actress. And a year ago, our team, the team of the project "2022", which was recently released on Channel One, visited Mariupol in the new territories and made the first feature film.

My question is this. In fact, I am very interested in what films brought you up as a person, as a person, in my opinion, of a great soul, a person who understands and appreciates people. And perhaps how your tastes have changed for your age now.

Vladimir Putin: Here are films like" Cheburashka " today, but which were shot then. Kind, slightly sentimental, which bring to life the best human qualities: kindness, creativity, helping others. These are the movies.

By the way, there were a lot of such films, there were a lot of good cartoons, Soyuzmultfilm produced them, you know. And of course, we need to give all this to our children, because what is being done today is probably very technologically advanced, everything flashes before our eyes, everything shoots, makes noise, explodes, everyone catches up with each other, they can't catch up, and when they catch up, they always hit on the head. But, probably, this is such an action game, it is in demand by the market. Whether this is always in demand by the child – I do not know, I am not sure about it. But in any case, no matter what-we all grew up, people of my generation grew up on these films. And later, of course, in our schools they study War and Peace and so on, Dostoevsky, they studied, in any case. I must say frankly that this, of course, you begin to understand at a more mature age. And of course, as a person grows up, matures, as he gains such experience in communicating with people, he has his own assessments of what is good and what is bad. He begins to look at the classics in a different way, at modern, say, literature or works of cinematography. Nothing so unusual happened to me here – everything is just like everyone else's.

And I wish you all the best in your work. I understand that it is very important that you address the problems of the people who live in this region, because these are acute problems, and people certainly need the support of creative workers, talented people who can convey what people live by, bright, clear and emotional.

Thanks

:(as translated)D. Akampurira My name is Davis Akampurira and I am from Uganda.

Your Excellency Mr. President,

I used to be the president of the Union of Students in my country, and also held other leadership positions in the leadership of the student movement of our country.

First of all, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for what you are doing for Africa and for our country in terms of scholarships and more. thank you.

You spoke about the unfairness of international politics, especially the manifestations of neo-colonialism. In this regard, I would like to say that in this struggle you are fighting not only for yourself and for the Russian people, but also for our peoples. Thank you very much for this, Mr. President.

I would also like to say this, Mr. President. During our event, perhaps you can tell us, the peoples of Africa, how we can better interact and work with Russia in order to resolve the challenges that our peoples face, and how we can work together with the Russian people to overcome all the problems on a global level.

In conclusion, Mr. President, I would so much like to become your son from Africa. I would like you to be my mentor, Mr. President.

Vladimir Putin: What can I tell you, son?

(Laughter in the audience.) First of all, I would like to address you not only as my son, but also as the president, since you are the president of the student union, so I will also allow you to address me as "Mr. President".

You know, if it's no joke at all, then in North America, in the United States, and in Europe, many people, serious, literate, deep people, believe that to a large extent the well-being of these countries is based on the exploitation of other peoples. Today's prosperity is based on the exploitation of Africa to a large extent – on the exploitation of natural resources and human resources. They speak directly about it, honestly.

I do not think that there is a need to go over something here, to fall into some kind of extremism, to demand repentance. But what absolutely needs to be done is to take this circumstance into account. Because only if this circumstance is taken into account can we achieve the correction of today's unfair economic world order.

I turn to such complex substances. It may be difficult for people who are not privy to this matter to immediately get involved and understand. But I will not speak in complex categories. Today's economic world order is unfair. It is no coincidence that within the World Trade Organization, the heads of Government of the vast majority of countries in the world cannot agree on anything in the framework of numerous sessions that pass one after another. And why? Because the rich countries of the world do not want to create in practice – not in words, but in deeds – at the governmental level such a system of international economic relations that would open markets for developing economies, which would create liberal conditions for their development and growth. Countries with developing economies are trying to make some changes in this world economic order from year to year, and they are constantly being blocked at almost every step.

We were going to St. Petersburg for the next Russia-Africa summit, and you probably noticed what the African leaders said. By the way, despite the shouts and the creation of conditions for them, for the leaders of African countries, not to go to Russia, the whole of Africa came. And not even because we have a very good history of relations, but because Africa is developing and wants to be truly independent and does not respond to any shouts. Although the background of our relationship is very kind and very good, it has deep roots.

At this forum, for example, my African colleagues mentioned that they now have such a cumulative debt, among African countries, that by definition it is impossible to repay. No matter what you do, you can't give it away. But after all, such conditions for financial relations were formulated, and African countries were forced to take loans on such terms, as if Western financial circles did not understand that it would never be possible to pay back this money.

You know, there was such a moment in the history of mankind, in the history of Europe. After the First World War, the greedy rulers, the then greedy rulers of France and Great Britain, created such financial conditions for Germany and imposed such indemnities and such conditions for paying off debts to, as they believed, the Entente states, that it was by definition impossible to pay them, these debts. And this was one of the reasons for Hitler's rapid rise on the political scene. Because he said to his people: "You look at what these bandits are doing, because they have imposed on us such conditions under which we will never, from generation to generation, Germans will not be able to pay off and become a normal country. We have only one way – to fight for our interests by armed means." This is not the only reason, but it is one of the most serious reasons.

Why do they create such conditions for Africa today by imposing such financial obligations? Of course, this does not mean that we should always follow the path of resistance and struggle for our interests by armed means. But we must do everything possible to change the current situation, to make it much fairer, clearer, more transparent, and therefore more sustainable, as I just said in my final words at the forum, here, side by side, in the next room.

There is another point that I would like to draw your attention to. In the course of numerous contacts with African leaders, even from those countries where the economic situation is very difficult today and people live very hard, sometimes they are malnourished, not one of them – not one, I want to emphasize this – asked for anything directly. No one offered a hand, and no one asked for anything: give us this, give us this. Everyone said only one thing: let's establish fair and honest joint economic work.

I want to tell you that we are ready, of course, to support them, our African friends, when it is necessary. You may have heard that we have now sent grain for free to several African countries, and even paid for the transportation of this grain. Where it needs to be done, we are ready to do it. But, of course, we are all the more ready for joint fruitful work on equal terms. Africa expects this from the whole world and from Russia. And of course, we will work with you exactly in this mode and on these principles. Africa has a huge future.

Alexander Pashkov: Mr President, we have been working together for almost an hour, so please give us some guidance, because I know that you have a schedule.

Vladimir Putin: The schedule is a schedule, but let's do some more work.

Let's go here, to this sector.

Yevgeny Orel: Good afternoon, Mr President.

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

E. Orel: In response to your question about feedback, it seems to me that the phrase of one person I met here on the margins of the forum will best answer. He's from Dubai.

Vladimir Putin: From where?

E. Orel: Dubai. And when I asked him how he liked the forum, he said: "I was afraid to come here because I was told that it was Russian propaganda, but when I came here, I felt an atmosphere of friendship."

Vladimir Putin: Good propaganda.

E. Orel: Yes, he says: "Friendship is the best propaganda."

And I want to thank you for this forum and share my history of festivals. For me, the 2017 festival, which was the previous one, played a huge role in my life, because then I learned about artificial intelligence together with teams from India, Greece, and Poland, with whom we worked on the Forsite and presented our project to you.

Then we presented it, and a couple of years later I flew to Italy to study and get an education there at a top school in Europe. Then, thanks to the Leaders of Russia contest, I returned home, built robots here, and now Dmitry Chernyshenko's team is developing artificial intelligence in Russia. This is an example of how festivals work, how our social elevators work. And thank you so much for that.

Together with the team of Minek and Sberbank, we have developed a strategy for the national development of artificial intelligence. We expect a huge economic effect, and we are moving on to the introduction of artificial intelligence. We sincerely believe that science and technology can be a place where all nations come together and work together.

I have a question of an applied nature. We are moving on to the introduction of artificial intelligence. Vladimir Vladimirovich, do you use a voice assistant? Do you have a Yandex or Sber smart speaker at home? Do you have a smart home? Do you generate greetings and pictures for your friends? Thanks

Vladimir Putin: Why do I need the Beac if we have Beac leaders who are always in touch? Gref Herman Oskarovich – he is always in touch. (Laughter.) But seriously, we can be proud of our achievements in this area. Why? Because our so-called "electronic government" can be much more advanced, and we have achieved much greater success than in many other countries of the world. And this is, of course, the result of the work of those people, including Chernyshenko, whom you mentioned, who is one of the organizers of these events. And here we have made some steps forward. But, of course, this is still not enough.

Of course, we must work together with our colleagues in the country, together with our colleagues from other countries, on this issue, perhaps even more intensively and intensively than it has been so far. Because – well, I don't need to say general things – because, of course, this is the future. The development of artificial intelligence creates huge competitive advantages for any country that develops these technologies. Of course, we will do this.

We are doing this and will continue to do so. There are a lot of questions related to ethics, but even here we have something to brag about in a good sense of the word, because, as you probably know, we agree on this with our leading companies, we have agreed. They create appropriate self-monitoring tools in this area, on this site, to be more precise and broader. This is also very important, because the use of artificial intelligence cannot be stopped, this is an obvious thing.

I am not inclined to agree with those who see some kind of end of the world here, see that there will be a certain milestone, a point of no return, when it will be impossible for humanity to return to the fact that we live in the human world, and from some point of no return, another era in the life of humanity will come – the era of which will control the person. Today, in any case, everything depends on us.

This also depends on resolving the issues that have already been raised here by our partner and friend from the United States, and our friends from other countries, namely: we need to negotiate among ourselves. Because if it gets out of hand, it can cause irreparable damage, it's true. I have already said this: when humanity is aware of some real dangers to itself if these technologies are released out of control, out of the hands of a person, then, I think, the time will come for agreements. Just as the conditions for agreements in the field of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and control over these weapons have matured in due time. But it is absolutely certain that we will have to agree on this at the international level. It seems to me that common sense will prevail, and we will be able to reach an agreement.

And it is impossible to stop the development of technologies. Conclusion: you need to be ahead.

To.Yanova: Mr President, this is radio, the right sector.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, let's move here. Otherwise, we are discriminating here.

Alexander Pashkov: Please tell us what country you are from.

J.Ciro: I'm from Italy, my name is Yorit. During the festival, we went all over the city here. I drew a Dostoevsky mural, graffiti, and a painting. I don't know if you remember me or not.

I want to say that none of the cultures can be canceled.

Vladimir Putin: Graffiti?

J.Ciro: Yes, a mural, graffiti in Naples, a Dostoevsky fresco.

I believe that art can serve as a bridge between Italy and Russia. When I drew this portrait, I was attacked by all the media and on the Internet as well, because today there is a lot of pressure on those who say that Russians are not really what propaganda describes them.

I always try to use art as a link between our peoples. Then I went to Mariupol and looked into the faces of these children, who represent all the children of the world for me, these are the children of Donbass. For 10 years, the Western media did not say a word about the children of Donbass, they did not care about these children. And this mural, this drawing shows that children are the same as in another world, in the rest of the world. And with the help of art, I try to connect and unite Russia and Italy.

What do you think about art and the role of art, Mr. President? And can it become a tool that connects and unites different countries and peoples?

And if possible, Mr. President, can I take a photo with you so that I can show you in Italy that you are really real? Because propaganda says some strange things, but we are actually people, ordinary people, and everything they say is not true.

Vladimir Putin: Of course. Aren't you going to pinch me to make sure I'm real?" (Laughter.)

Seriously. First of all, we have always admired the art of Italy and always brought it together. Italian art is the great art of a great people, this is quite obvious. In any case, we in Russia have always treated it this way, and we still do.

But that wasn't all we had in common. And your struggle for independence in Italy, Garibaldi-didn't that unite us? Always united. And the fact that you went to the Donbass, to Novorossiya, is probably also a call of the heart, because Italians always have a desire for freedom in their hearts. This means that you need to respect – and you seem to respect-the desire of others to make their own choices, to choose their own destiny.

And of course, you should always look at any problem from different angles. Art, in my opinion, should provide people without interfering in current politics, but giving them information in its own special language about what is happening. Art should help people make their own choices when dealing with such complex issues, including today. In that sense, I think you're on the right track. I want to wish you all the best and success, and I am sure that you will succeed if you continue to adhere to such internal moral guidelines. I think this is very important in art.

Alexander Pashkov: Mr President, can we give Latin America the floor? You are welcome.

:(as translated)L. Garcia Good day to all!

Mr. President, thank you for coming to this event.

I'm from Argentina, a political scientist and head of the international Center for Cooperation with Russia. In addition, I lead the delegation, we are almost 100 Argentines, we visited this festival, this is a special moment for us. And there is a question about innovative technologies and artificial intelligence, which has already been asked.

We feel incredible joy being here. And the members of my delegation, the people we met, asked questions about the future of the festival.

Sorry to repeat myself. We discussed with many delegations how to create a reliable and stable system of interaction between young people around the world, so that they can become ambassadors of this project, develop new ideas based on the ideas and best practices of this festival. That's my question.

Vladimir Putin: You know, it seems to me that it is impossible to depoliticize everything, but if you want to reduce restrictions, then you need to depoliticize contacts between young people as much as possible and not try to beat on a closed door or on some walls, but look for those directions that do not arouse any suspicion in anyone, which are obvious from the point of view of combining efforts in solving some generally understandable problems, primarily, of course, in the humanitarian sphere. In my opinion, this will create a network of favorable relations between young people in all countries of the world, and this, in turn, is a good foundation for building interstate relations.

Alexander Pashkov: You are probably asked about technology so often. Because today the mentioned Sber, Rosatom, and 2 thousand square meters of technologies were brought here by VK. A lot of people were surprised by this.

Please ask your question.

Yu.Kozlova: Good evening, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

My name is Yulia Kozlova, Russian Society "Knowledge". And first of all, we want to thank you from the guys and from the Russian Society "Znanie" for the holiday that you organized all over the world, not only in Russia.

And first of all, when I talked to the guys, I learned that they had the opportunity not only to make friends with each other, get to know each other better, but also to learn and learn something new. And part of this festival was a marathon of the Russian Society "Znanie", where children from all over the world communicated with outstanding people from all over the world. And only in our country there is a format of open dialogue at arm's length. And the guys like this format.

As one of the best lecturers in our country, we would like to invite you to VDNH as part of the International Exhibition and Forum "Russia", to our lecture hall of the Russian Society "Znanie", and to speak and communicate with our young people, who are very much waiting for you.

Thank you again very much. We appreciate that holiday and what you do not only for our children, but also for all these guys with whom we have already made friends over the past few days.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

I do not consider myself the best lecturer, I tell you frankly, although we had a small course at the university. But that's not the point. The fact is that this type of activity is not exactly my thing, I must tell you frankly. And we do have very talented people who have encyclopedic knowledge and are able to present it beautifully, so that they can not only make it clear, but also in the course of their speeches win hearts, win minds and make listeners like-minded people of what they say and what they are trying to convince. We have many such talented people.

I'll do my best, that's my job, to make sure you have them.

Yu.Kozlova: Thank you very much.

But we are very much looking forward to your visit.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Alexey Deletic: Dear President Vladimir Vladimirovich,

My name is Aleksandra Deletic and I'm from Montenegro. I am the general secretary of the political party "Real Montenegro".

Both the majority of Montenegrins and the chairman of our party Marko Milacic will also join my question: Do you think that this youth festival has helped the world to see the pressure that Western countries and democracies are putting on the Russian Federation by introducing sanctions? One of these countries is Montenegro. Despite the fact that the majority of residents do not agree with this policy, I want to note that in Montenegro, former President Milo Djukanovic is directly responsible for such a policy, which is a betrayal of his own homeland. As one of the leading leaders of a global power, do you believe that we can work together to achieve common interests?

And before you answer, I would like to apologize on behalf of the Montenegrin delegation and the people of Montenegro for the sanctions that were imposed on the Russian Federation. Thanks for attention. Thank you for your time.

Vladimir Putin: You know, Montenegro has always been a close state for us, and the people who live there are close to us both in faith and culture. We understand the situation Montenegro is in, so, as you can see, joining the sanctions has no impact on you, these are all purely populist things. And the former head of Montenegro – he is not only a leader, but also, in my opinion, was a businessman, and it is not even clear what was more-he is a leader or a businessman. Well, it doesn't matter. Something else is important, and I want to answer that.

You have just spoken about sanctions, the fight against sanctions, and how this is affected by today's event. I want to emphasize once again that I said this at the very beginning. We organize events of this kind, and this festival of youth is not just a tool to fight sanctions. Our government is struggling with sanctions, and quite successfully, as you can see.

We do not hold events of this kind in order to prove something to someone, argue with someone and compete. We hold events to find friends, to create conditions for communication between young people, so that they can get more information about us, about Russia, and, having received this information, they can, just like many of the participants of our meeting today, make plans for cooperation between specific countries. people and specific professions, maybe specific enterprises, would create some new formats and interactions and help countries, even those countries that are currently in conflict with each other, to find ways out of these difficult situations. This is what our event is dedicated to, including today's one.

We are very happy and grateful that you are here. Thank you very much.

Alexander Pashkov: Maybe we should go back to North America.

They prevented the children from getting to the festival – 50 people came anyway, despite all this. Do we still have America here? Yes, please. US$? Ask a question once you're up.

:(as translated)But.Carmona Thank you very much. We're from Mexico.

Thank you very much, President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, on behalf of all the Latin American peoples who participate in the festival, we are so happy that we have this opportunity. We are cooperating with Russia, and thanks to this, we have serious achievements. We also work to protect the rights of indigenous peoples. In October, we met with other leaders of the national preparatory committees and came to the conclusion that this topic is very important and included it in the program of this festival. Of course, and a question on this topic.

My name is Antonio and I'm from Mexico City (I forgot to introduce myself). I study at MGIMO, by the way. And as for cooperation with Russia, and the fact that we are together, we founded the Association of Mexican Students at MGIMO, and I used to head it. Our joint future project is "Team of the Future". This is a project that Rosmolodezh is engaged in. We are scaling it in Mexico and working with Rossotrudnichestvo. We have been working for seven years and plan to continue this work. Preparatory committees from many countries have also created these teams of the future on the continents-Latin America, Africa, Asia as well.

Question. What do you think is the importance of indigenous communities and peoples? Can they unite our countries, our nations? Can there be a unifying diplomacy at the level of indigenous peoples? Because there are achievements that we have achieved in the field of culture, education and not only. This is all the agenda that we are working on and that is important.

Thank you very much for your answer, Mr. President, in advance.

Vladimir Putin: This is a question that is also important for us. Preserving the cultures of small-numbered peoples, national cultures, and traditions is very important for us. These are our roots, and for all the peoples inhabiting the vast territory of the Russian Federation, they are extremely important, because they preserve our traditions and culture.

I have nothing against pop culture, but we understand what it is, and it is also necessary, of course. But, I come back again, the soul of the people, of course, is in the national traditions and in the national culture. And here, of course, we have something to talk about, there is something that is in demand, we can and should exchange information and work experience in this important area and convey the beauty of national cultures to each other. This is very important, very useful and very beautiful. So we are ready to work with you.

Alexey Savelyev: Good evening, Mr President. My name is Andrey Saveliev, I work in the patriotic center "Warrior", which was created on your behalf, and I myself am a resident of Kiev.

After the coup in Ukraine, I left Kiev for Crimea and joined the militia, participated in the defense of Crimea, as well as in the defense of Slavyansk as a field medic. I was 16 years old at the time. Also, when the special operation began, I went to the front as a volunteer, served in the legendary Sparta battalion, and worked as a volunteer in military hospitals.

And in 2012, even before the Maidan, the Cossacks of the "Faithful Cossacks" in the center of Kiev on Sofiyskaya Square, you know where it is, held an event dedicated to the friendship of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. At that time I was a pupil of the cadet class, I was 14 years old. And at some point, radical Bandera members came there, who tore out the Russian banner, and one of them tried to run away with it. I managed to catch up with him and save the flag from being insulted. (Applause.)

After that, I was invited to the Russian Embassy in Ukraine and handed a personalized watch from you. Now this flag is located as a relic in the Warrior center.

We are currently at the festival, and I am a member of the Free Trade Association from the Donetsk delegation, and I am very glad that there is an opportunity to convey the truth here not only to representatives from all regions of Russia, but also to foreign guests from almost all over the world.

Therefore, I would like to thank the volunteers who provide such an opportunity, who also participate and help the front, and also from all the participants of the SVO, I would like to thank you personally for standing up for the Donbass, and now our army is showing the whole world the greatness of Russia. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

In turn, I would like to thank you for your position. When you first got up and started talking in that confident, firm male voice, I knew immediately who I was dealing with. This is the first one.

Second. Thank you for your position, because what you have done and are doing is directed, as it may not seem strange in today's conditions, for the benefit of Ukraine and Russia, for the benefit of the Ukrainian people and the Russian people. I am sure that thanks to people like you, as I have already said publicly, sooner or later a reunion – at least on a spiritual level – will take place, it is inevitable.

But in order for this to happen, it is necessary, of course, to eradicate everything that prevents this. And this is hindered by the most disgusting manifestations of nationalism, which is a poison that poisons the lives of so many peoples, including today in Ukraine.

For those who don't know, I can tell our foreign friends and colleagues. Now the young man spoke about Bandera members. Who are Bandera members? Bandera members are followers of a certain Bandera, who collaborated with Hitler during the Second World War and killed millions (1.5 million Jews were killed there) – Poles, Russians, Belarusians. Innumerable victims.

Then, however, in the middle of the war, when Hitler began to lose the war, and it became obvious to everyone that the Nazis were losing, the Bandera members defected, tried to defect to the Allies. Then the Nazis began to "stifle" them on the sly.

But this is absolutely true, this is a historical fact: these are people who collaborated with Nazism, with the Nazis, and who exterminated the civilian population. Today, such people in Ukraine are elevated to the rank of national heroes. They walk around major cities with their portraits like icons, they are saluted, they are symbols of today's Ukrainian state. That's what we're fighting. Thanks to such guys as the friend who is here.

To.Wagner: Mr. President, thank you very much.

Please allow me to ask you a question in German.

Vladimir Putin: Please.

:(as translated)To.Wagner My name is Christian Wagner and I'm from Hamburg. I trained as a professional worker, as a construction worker, then moved to China and continued my studies there. I participate in the festival in China, and we are engaged in strengthening cooperation with the Eurasian continent, and we are engaged in strengthening ties with all continents, with all regions. And here the key point, an important point, is cooperation between Russia and China. In my experience, the German people want friendship with the Russian people, and we see mutual sympathy and solidarity between the two peoples. And we feel that there is solidarity, and first of all at the level of young people.

My question is this. How you can use this opportunity, how to improve mutual understanding, and secure and strengthen European sovereignty. Thanks

Vladimir Putin: You ended your question by saying that you would like, as I understand it, to strengthen European sovereignty. But you know, the problem of today's Germany is precisely this. This is not even a problem, it is probably the problem of today's Germany. And where did it come from? After all, today's quite respectable German politicians say, well, Mr. Schaeuble, for example, said this a few years ago, that modern Germany after the Second World War was never in the full sense of the word sovereign. This is not what I said, but what the German politicians are saying. Why, too, is understandable, due to a number of restrictions that arose after the Second World War, and the restrictions that the victorious countries created.

First of all, as I have already said publicly, the current generation of Germans is not responsible for what the Nazis and fascists did in Germany, in Europe, and in the world as a whole. But we must all do everything possible to ensure that nothing like this will happen again in the future in the world, this is absolutely certain. This may also be the special responsibility of the German people.

I would also like to note that in the history of our countries, we have always experienced a "golden time" in our development, in achieving success, when we – Russians and Germans – joined forces. In all the times when Germany and Russia were together and worked together, we achieved great, obvious success.

Unfortunately, this is not the case today, but I think that the deep national interests of Germany and the German people will inevitably sooner or later bring politicians who will adhere to this point of view, who will adhere to national interests.

Of course, within the framework of the system of relations that are developing as a multipolar world is being built, I think that fundamental changes will also take place in Europe. Now we are hearing that Europe should already have its own armed forces, Europe should be more independent. I'm not saying this, but European politicians are saying it, which means that despite the well-known hierarchy in the Western world, the desire for independence and the protection of one's sovereignty is still breaking through. This is inevitable for the whole of Europe, and I am sure it will be so in Germany. But you need to be patient and work on solving current problems.

And of course, young people of different political views should join forces if they want to achieve this positive result. I thank you for thinking about it.

Alexander Pashkov: Mr President, we have been working for an hour and a half, so please guide us, because there are a lot of questions.

Vladimir Putin: Let's have some more…

To.Yanova: Let's continue.

You guys have a unique opportunity.

Vladimir Putin: Please.

Alexander Pashkov: Let me choose. Here you are, the young man has been holding out his hand for a long time.

A. Gubernatorova: Hello, Vladimir Vladimirovich!

Let me get started. The young man, I think, can continue after me. Please excuse me.

Vladimir Putin: Coming soon is March 8, that's right, International Women's Day.

A. Gubernatorova: Thank you very much.

My name is Anastasia Gubernatorova and I represent the Belgorod Region.

I would like to start my question by thanking you personally, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for supporting the residents of the Belgorod Region after the recent situation.

We really appreciate the contribution that you have made for each of us. We feel that you are near, that the whole country is with us. I think that all participants of this meeting will support this. We feel like we're together. We feel that soon everything will be as we want it to be, and we will build our future together with you.

Of course, I would like to note that our volunteer movement in the Belgorod region is growing, and we are very pleased and important to understand that you deeply appreciate our work and place it high on a par with people who are also changing this world. Of course, it was very important to understand that platforms for the development of the volunteer movement in our country and in our world are growing. Thank you for this opportunity to exchange your experience, share some of your own practices of interaction with volunteers, with our volunteer organizations, with children and with caring people from our country who help us every day. These are families, young people from kindergartens, schools, colleges and universities who write letters to our servicemen every day. These are also the people who send and receive humanitarian aid. These are all those who are always with us and always support us. Thank you again very much for this. We thank you for supporting the residents of the Belgorod region, and specifically on behalf of the residents of the city of Belgorod, thank you very much.

Can you tell me if there is an opportunity to increase the platforms for sharing practices, for sharing our experience with other regions, so that guys from other countries and other regions can also share this with us? Because it is very important for us, for all those who are present here. Thank you again very much for this opportunity.

Vladimir Putin: As for these platforms for the exchange of experience. We currently have three or four such sites – Mashuk, Tavrida and so on. But in the near future there will be twelve of them. We understand the importance of this work and will create conditions for more such opportunities.

But since you are from Belgorod and mentioned the events that took place there, I want to say this. Well, not everyone probably knows, and I won't go into details now, but you and the residents of the Belgorod region will understand this. Shelling of peaceful objects, multiple launch rocket attacks on squares, on civilians-this is, of course, a war crime. This is how we will treat what happened, and we will not leave those who did it alone.

In general, I would like to thank you and all the residents of the Belgorod region for your courage, for your willingness to fight, for such a patriotic attitude to what is happening, and, of course, all the volunteers who make a huge contribution to the common cause.

Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, please, please get up. You didn't get a microphone.

To.Yanova: The young man gallantly gave way to the girl.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, yes.

Mikhail Tanaskovich: Mr President, good evening.

My name is Milos Tanaskovic and I'm from Serbia.

I would like to thank you for having a great opportunity to get an excellent education in Russia. I graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and then continued to study…

Vladimir Putin: Are you an ordained priest?

Mikhail Tanaskovich: Not yet, but we do have plans. There are plans, and we will strive for this.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Mikhail Tanaskovich: I then had a very good opportunity to get an education, to continue and increase it. I also studied law.

I would also like to say that in Serbia, thanks to your help, thanks to Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church, a beautiful Cathedral of St. Sava of Serbia was built. And also once on a trip to Valaam, I noticed a beautiful photo of you with Archimandrite Methodius, whom you probably knew.

Vladimir Putin: Yes.

M. Tanaskovich: Father, bright father. I would just like to ask you how well you got acquainted with our culture of our Balkan countries during your visits to us, during your communication with Father Methodius, and how close it is to you? thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: You know as well as I do, and I'm sure you know even better: relations between Russia and Serbia have a special character and historically deep roots. I always say this with special warmth, because for centuries – I want to emphasize this – the Serbs have been Russia's most reliable allies. We know this, remember it, and appreciate it.

Alexander Pashkov: Let's go back to this sector.

Yes, please, the young man in the tie.

: (as translated)N. Schenk Hello! My name is Noah Schenck and I represent the United States of America. On behalf of the Center for Political Innovation, I would like to ask a question, and I would like to say that I thank you for giving us the opportunity to come here. However, this is a bittersweet experience, so to speak, because during the opening ceremony there was a moment when everyone was holding hands, there was a woman and a man in a wheelchair in front of me, and I watched her try to take his hand, they held hands, and I felt a human warmth, he didn't know what to do. was excluded from the general process. Throughout the festival, I see that everyone is united, and I see optimism and hope. I see that young people are ready to realize their potential and move the world forward.

And I think about what is happening at home, I think about those who can't get an education for economic reasons: because they live in a society that doesn't care about it. And I'm starting to get torn, because there are two pictures that don't fit together. And the more I live, the more I understand this discrepancy. The BRICS nations, on the contrary, are on the rise today, while the Western nations are on the decline today.

And my question. Do you think that a world where the West can join BRICS is possible, and can it even happen? What might this configuration look like?

Vladimir Putin: Yes, since today, everyone has been striving to join the West, including Russia, which once aspired to join the "seven", the "eight". Then we realized that this doesn't make sense, because no one considers our interests there. This is the problem and the mistake of our Western partners.

I have already tried to convey this idea to your compatriot when I answered the previous question of our American guest. You know, you just spoke about problems of a purely social nature – about getting an education, getting medical care. I must tell you honestly and frankly that this is not only a problem for the United States, although, of course, it is probably strange for many people to hear this. Many people from, say, Latin America are now trying to get into the United States by hook or crook. This flow of migrants, which irritates a large number of Americans, is well known to everyone. But there are many such problems in other countries – in rich and developed countries.

In general, health problems are also very acute for Europe. The United States has so far created conditions for the best possible use of knowledge and skills for highly qualified specialists from all over the world, including from Europe: salaries are higher – European specialists move there to live. But the world is unfair, that's for sure, and people who do not have the appropriate income, nor can they get a normal education, they do not have the right to count on medical care. And people can die right on the doorstep of a health facility if they don't have insurance in the United States. Unfortunately, this has happened many times, and we know these tragic cases.

But this does not mean that all other countries of the world are doing well and that social balance and social justice have been fully achieved. I also spoke about this today, and our common task is to make sure that all people are treated equally. This is a difficult task. But I think I am even convinced that if we create a multipolar world in which we not only depend on each other, but also help each other, then social issues, including education and healthcare, will be solved more easily and effectively. Because by combining our efforts, we achieve better results.

Alexander Pashkov: We have representatives of the BRICS countries here.

Please, you're from South Africa, right? We met at the festival, isn't that right?

:(as translated)D.Mtsveni Hello. My name is Julia Mtsveni. I am the Vice-president of the Historical Congress of South Africa, which is the largest association of students in South Africa.

Before I ask you a question, thank you very much, Mr. President, for having this opportunity. We talked to students who study in Russia thanks to the scholarships that you allocate. I don't speak Russian, some of them were my translators, I just learned "thank you" and "bye-bye". Thank you very much, Mr. President, I may be able to improve my Russian.

But I would like to ask a question about BRICS. Unfortunately, poverty today does not allow us to develop our society, and young people cannot enter the international labor market. In order for us to do this, we need to overcome obstacles, for example, we have problems in the educational field, many cannot get a good job and enter the labor market after graduation.

And if the BRICS market continues to develop, maybe we will have a platform that will give young people the opportunity to get a good job. And maybe we need to take some measures to do this. And maybe you can give us some advice, Mr. President. We see on TV that representatives of the older generation participate in decision-making within the framework of BRICS, now "BRICS plus" already.

Perhaps my question, Mr. President, will lead us to this. When will young people have a place at the same decision-making table with the older generation, so that our interests are also taken into account? Because in South Africa, young people are trying to increase their representation. And BRICS is a multinational structure, it is now a global structure, BRICS+ already, and not just BRICS. And the fact is that we are invited to all sorts of youth camps and so on. But we want to sit at the table with the older generation and make decisions, because today the decisions that are being made do not take into account the interests of the younger generation.

My next question is: When will young people get a say in BRICS decision-making?

Vladimir Putin: You know, the BRICS was born in Russia, so gradually all this happened. Once, at one of the international events, by the way, within the framework of the same" eight " in St. Petersburg, I suggested that our Chinese and Indian friends meet in threes.

This is how the RIC association – Russia, India, and China-was formed. Then Brazil joined-BRIC, then South Africa - turned out to be BRICS. And today it is such a powerful, really serious association, a magnet that attracts so many countries of the world, because, as our friend from the United States noted, these countries are really gaining momentum. I have already given these data.

The BRICS countries ' global GDP is now larger than that of the G7 countries, and this gap is widening, and it will continue to grow. This is already a medical fact, nothing can be done about it, and even if someone wants to change this trend, it is no longer possible, it will increase.

But you're right. Of course, we need to hear the voice of young people. For this purpose, we have created – it was a Russian initiative-a youth platform. But bearing in mind what you have just said, and that we are the BRICS presidents this year, we will do everything that depends on us as presidents to ensure that young people from the BRICS countries have the opportunity to sit at the same table with us and take part in our discussion.

Alexander Pashkov: Let's move on to the central sector.

Vladimir Putin: And we will slowly finish it.

You are welcome.

Alexander Pashkov: We have been working for almost two hours.

I know we have a guest from Colombia.

V. Montejo: I'm Valeria Montejo from Colombia.

Everyone knows how a leader, president, manager, or CEO of a corporation, business, or company should behave. But in reality, there are unforeseen situations, and sometimes you have to make some non-standard decisions that sometimes harm someone, and someone, on the contrary, benefits.

My question. In your experience, how do you properly address the uncertainties associated with leadership and leadership, the consequences of such controversial decisions, and how do you take responsibility for these consequences?

Vladimir Putin: You know, in my opinion, we should always have an internal reference point, and this internal reference point can have the correct vector when we think not about the current event, but about the future. And one of the people who was involved in politics, he said: "A good politician thinks about future elections, and a real leader thinks about future generations." (Applause.) But, of course, you always have to choose, and it is clear that when choosing, we proceed from the fact that, of course, not everyone is satisfied with these decisions. But we need to think about the final result and work for the good of the country, for the good of the people, for the good of the people, for the future of the state. The process is not easy.

We had such a statesman, a military leader of German origin-Marshal, in my opinion, or Field Marshal Minich, who said that Russia is a country that is directly governed by God, because if this is not the case, it is not clear how it even exists. In the first part, I agree: Russia is a country that is directly governed by God. As for the second part, my experience in the current position suggests that Russia exists thanks to the Russians and other peoples inhabiting this vast territory, thanks to their talent, loyalty to their country and confidence in the future, in the future of our children.

Thank you very much. We'll be finishing up.

Alexander Pashkov: Mr President, if I may say so, we have developed this tradition by itself.

Vladimir Putin: What is it?

Alexander Pashkov: China and India are the largest delegations, and France is not the largest, but not a single session was without a question from France. Let's make their question final and complete.

Vladimir Putin: Please.

:(as translated)And Thank You for the scan.

Hello everyone! I'm a student. I am glad to be here today and speak to you, Mr. President, it is a great honor for me, thank you very much. My name is Israa Skan, I am 21 years old, from France.

It is a great honor for me to be in Russia. I was simply struck by the great cultural diversity that I see in Russia, and Russia holds a special place in my heart. I will be writing a dissertation on the Middle East, North Africa and interaction with Russia. I want to work in the diplomatic field, build a career, and would like your advice.

What advice would you give to young women and girls around the world who are interested in diplomacy? Also, given the success of this festival, are there any plans for it to be permanent? This could promote cultural exchanges and improve mutual understanding between our peoples.

Thanks

Vladimir Putin: As for forums of this kind, we will certainly continue them, making them even more informative, rich, vibrant and attractive.

As for women in the profession. Well, in Russia, women play a prominent role in the life of the country, but, unfortunately, there are not so many women in the Government today. One of them is present here. Tatyana Alekseevna, please get up. (Applause.) Tatyana Golikova is engaged in social issues, medicine, and culture. But in general, there are a lot of women at all different levels of leadership in the country. And the more, in fact, the better, because women have certain traits associated with the performance of their official duties. They are more disciplined, aggressive in the good sense of the word.

What would I recommend? It's not for me to advise women, it's more expensive for myself. It's best not to mess around. (Laughter in the audience.) But I can say here that this is not advice, but just thoughts out loud.

Of course, no matter what a woman does, she must always remain a woman, she must remain a loved one, create a certain atmosphere around herself, in the family, of course. The purpose of a woman is to procreate, and this is an absolutely unique natural gift. We all treat it with great respect and support, a massive program of support for motherhood and childhood. I'm already saying this without lyricism, but these are serious issues for France, for the whole of Europe, for developed economies, and for Russia too. Because the decline in the birth rate is a serious challenge for all countries, including in the economic sphere.

And the role of women here is unique, and at the same time we all (of course, "we" – I mean the male part of the population), we, of course, all expect that a woman remains attractive, charming, tender. But I do not know how a woman can achieve everything – both a career and being outwardly attractive – but this is a woman's secret, which I do not even try to delve into.

All the best to you!

Alexander Pashkov: Thank you very much, Vladimir Vladimirovich, for the open conversation that you have devoted so much time to us.

Vladimir Putin: I want to ask my African "relative" and our Italian friend to come here.

Unfortunately, there’s no photo of the above with Putin, “son” and friend, but at the very end of the video we get to see all three. One thing the video provides that the transcript erases is seeing the thought processes Putin goes through in formulating his answers. And of course, you get to see the person asking the question.

IMO, the term “youth” is stretched rather far as many were adults in their 20s, which resulted in many mature questions and observations, the quality of which was very high. Nor did Putin dumb-down his replies. The venue itself is rather awe-inspiring being rather futurist in its nature. One can keep busy reviewing events that one missed because as with similar such events many symposia are offered at the same times at different locations. Again, the festival’s website. Did Putin have a specific message he wanted to impart seems the best analytical question to ask. My answer is Russia seeks to establish a stable, fair world situation that allows for nations to advance their interests, which for most are national development while continuing to allow for the perpetuation of traditional culture. IMO, Putin was very wise to avoid an attempt at putting himself in a woman’s shoes, and the audience also appreciated his answer. There clearly are some things that cannot be canceled no matter the effort. It seemed that many want to live and work in Russia, while others want to act as bridges between their homeland and Russia so the homeland benefits.

How often should such events be held? World’s Fairs were once held annually and once gained much media focus, but who hears of them anymore? They still exist in the form of “Expos,” but apparently shares the same problem as the International Olympic Committee when it comes to impartiality as they’re controlled by the International Bureau of Expositions located in Paris. Now they’re held every 2-3 years with Osaka being the 2025 location. As with the Olympics, locales present a bid to the BIE. But there’s no international sanctioning body for Russia’s World Youth Festivals, and perhaps that’s how it ought to be as other nations are free to hold their own. Also, there are several other international organizations that promote and provide their own festivals, one being the World Festival of Youth and Students. Clearly there’s a soft power associated with such events that the West chose to cancel at the Cold War’s outset and still seems to retain that attitude: If it can’t be controlled by the West, then it gets denounced and boycotted. Given the current state of the world, every two years seems a proper frequency.

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