Putin Raps SFR Chiefs

At a meeting with local chiefs of the Southern Federal Region (SFR) Russian President Vladimir Putin severely criticized the situation in the SFR. He expressed his indignation at the state of corruption and clannishness prevalent in the south of Russia and demanded that a crusade be launched against these evils.

"One of the most pressing problems is the constraint, over-organization, over-regulation of business activities in many areas of the region. There is an excessive administrative interference, local markets are monopolized, actually closed to any outside activity", noted the President.

"This problem concerns not only the south of Russia, but the whole country, but I would like to pay special attention to the south", said V. Putin. "The Southern Federal Region has the highest density of law-enforcement personnel not only in Russia, but also in Europe and North America. Here we have 1,200 law-enforcement staff for every 100,000 people", pointed out the President.

"But the continued activity of terrorist formations and other extremist groups seriously destabilizes the situation in the region", acknowledged the President in summing up. As a result, "the investment attractiveness of the region goes down, and the citizens do not feel adequately protected", believes V. Putin..