Polling Results: Russians Know Yushchenko and Saakashvili

The All-Russian Central Institute of Public Opinion Polling has released data on Russians' attitude toward leaders of CIS countries. Among the heads of CIS countries, Russians know best of all the presidents of Byelorussia Alexander Lukashenko, Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko and Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili.

Their names were correctly given by 85, 76 and 76 percent of Russians, respectively. The respondents' level of information in respect of the leaders of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is somewhat lower.

Only a little over a quarter of the respondents could correctly give the names of the presidents of Uzbekistan, Armenia and Turkmenistan (29, 27 и 27 percent respectively). Russians know the names of leaders of Moldova, Tajikistan and Kirghizia still less (19, 16, 14 percent gave correct answers).

On the whole, Russians believe that presidents of the majority of CIS countries pursue sooner an unfriendly than friendly policy toward Russia. Prominent among the anti-Russian leaders are presidents of Georgia and Ukraine, 55 and 53 percent of respondents respectively consider their policy toward Russia as unfriendly.

Russians also give a negative assessment of the policies of the president of Moldova (11 percent believe it to be friendly, 38 percent unfriendly), Turkmenistan (+19 and –24 percent respectively) and Tajikistan (+20 and –25 percent). Russians believe the policies of the presidents of Byelorussia and Kazakhstan are sooner friendly than unfriendly: Byelorussia +52 and -22 percent, Kazakhstan +50 and -15 percent.