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Putin details role as Premier

PARIS: Vladimir Putin made his first major foray abroad as Russia’s Prime Minister on Thursday, insisting that managing the economy is now his main job.

While Mr. Putin is no longer Russia’s President, he didn’t hesitate to use a visit to Paris to address the issue of human rights, which he said was no longer part of his official bailiwick.

Honouring protocol, Mr. Putin spoke to reporters with his French counterpart, Francois Fillon, before moving on for dinner with President Nicolas Sarkozy in the kind of event generally reserved for heads of state.

Mr. Putin’s trip to Paris, his first high-profile venture abroad in his new role, was likely to be scrutinised for signs of who’s behind Russia’s foreign policy now that his Dmitry Medvedev is in the President’s seat.

Mr. Putin used the chance to draw the line between their roles. “The government handles the economy,” he said. Dealing with human rights “is the area of competency of the President,” he said before raising questions about that issue in France.

“Concerns about the lack of human rights in Russia are strongly exaggerated. And in general, this theme is an instrument for pressure on Russia,” he said, adding that “any country” has human rights problems.

“Let’s take the example of, I don’t know, the situation in prisons in France and other detention centres. Is everything OK there for you? Why don’t we look into it?” said Mr. Putin.

Mr. Fillon didn’t contradict his guest. He instead noted how he was “impressed by the breadth of reforms achieved in Russia since 1999,” when Mr. Putin became President. “We don’t teach lessons to anybody,” said Mr. Fillon.

On the table were issues like energy, particularly nuclear, oil and gas. — AP

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