Murtaza Rakhimov: the article of President of Russia is the address to mind and heart of the population and of every Russian

President of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov responded to the article of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev “Russia, Forward!”, published on his official site. The text of M-r Rakhimov’s comments is given (shortly) below:

“The article of Dmitry Medvedev raises urgent matters of the development of the country. This is not just an ordinary publication but direct, open and deep address of the leader of the country to population of Russia, to mind and hearts of all Russians. I think we haven’t faced such goal-setting long ago.

How can we live further, believing that the crisis will once be over, oil prices will go up and new workplaces will appear again? We mustn’t wait for the “progress”, coming from globalization. Our people mustn’t hope that hazardous business games in the world stock exchanges will automatically lead the country to the road of prosperity and we mustn’t believe that the position of raw-material-producing appendage for the West is the worthy way of life for Russia. It is high time to stop lulling the nation!

President of Russia is absolutely right when he says it is necessary to activate the giant creative and intellectual potential of our population, our talented youth and all Russian regions in order to accept the severe challenges of time.

We have to mobilize the whole potential of our democratic state and civil society. Active cooperation of all institutes – state, public and private – presumes the combination of the interests of the county, its regions and citizens. Federalism is the key principle of Russian state structure and this phenomenon mustn’t serve as a screen. Our country is too big and various to solve everything in the center. In case of correct distribution of competences, correct budget and tax policy Russian regions can become the supporting points of increase and to provide the prosperity of Russia. The regional level possesses enough potential for raising the level of people’s living standards. We are different but we’ve already learned to find necessary approaches to solution of our urgent problems. Special attention should be paid to national policy. We are anxious that many problems are solved in Russia too slowly, during many decades. Under the terms of strict competition in the world such approach can hardly be called satisfactory.

We urgently need modern productions, the newest technologies and new sorts of competitive products, we need the infrastructure of the XXI century! Russian Federation must become the exporter of ideas, technologies, culture, the best machines and goods instead of being the exporter of raw materials. Russian Eurasian civilization has to be the leader for the whole mankind and it will be so if every Russian, irrespective of nationality, religion, political ideas, social status and profession in every region, city or region will understand the great responsibility of this moment and the great meaning of the appeal “Russia, Forward!”