RF credit default crisis can be avoided with state support-Kudrin

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UNITED NATIONS, June 25 (Itar-Tass) - It is possible to avoid crisis
caused by the non-repayment by Russians of credits to banks, Russian Vice
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin told Russian journalists
on Wednesday.
Answering a question related to the fact that each 4th family in
Russia (26 percent) at present has non-repaid credits, according to data
(as of June) provided by the VCIOM RF public opinion research centre,
Kudrin noted that most of these credits are prolonged. "I think that we
(in RF) have good mechanisms of refinancing and support of both citizens
and banks," the minister noted.
"Now the majority of credits that cannot be repaid are prolonged by
banks. Part of them, certainly must be repaid or responsibility measures
should be taken, but the majority are prolonged," Kudrin pointed out. He
also stressed that "we help in the form of capitalisation" those banks
that have problems due to this.
Therefore, he noted, "the non-repayment growth will happen, but we
will avoid crisis by means of providing support to banks regarding
prolongation of these credits and fulfilment of obligations."
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.Duma to consider Zurabov for post of RF ambassador in Kiev.


MOSCOW, June 25 (Itar-Tass) - The CIS affairs committee of the State
Duma lower house of Russia's parliament on Thursday will consider the
candidature of RF former Health and Social Development Minister Mikhail
Zurabov for the post of the Russian ambassador to Ukraine.
"The meeting will be held behind closed doors," the committee head,
Alexei Ostrovsky, specified to Itar-Tass. "Such issues are always debated
behind closed doors without the presence of the staff officials and
journalists, so there will be no exception tomorrow," the parliamentarian
specified.
Ostrovsky explained that for making a positive decision the
candidature should be backed by "half of the committee members plus one
vote." "I have no doubts that my colleagues will support this
candidature," said the lawmaker. "After the meeting that is planned to be
started at 03:00 we with Zurabov will without fail talk to reporters," he
promised.
In the view of Ostrovsky who is also member of the Liberal Democratic
Party of Russia (LDPR), "the closeness and non- publicity of Zurabov are a
considerable plus for the new ambassador, because public statements of
certain ambassadors of the Russian Federation often complicated their
activity in the countries of stay."
The position of Duma factions on Zurabov's candidature in no way can
be called consolidated. In the view of representative of the United Russia
party, first vice speaker of the Duma Oleg Morozov, "Zurabov is a very
prepared person, in my view, efficient, with his own position." "If the
president made this decision then he had his reasons for that," Morozov is
certain.
However, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) "has an
extremely negative attitude towards Zurabov," vice speaker Ivan Melnikov
stated. In his opinion, now Russia needs in Ukraine "a strong career
diplomat, a subtle negotiator, a person who perfectly well knows the
region and the people, its feelings and traditions." "We need a person
there who will be able to conduct a multi-vector conversation inside the
political elite and will be simultaneously liked by the majority of the
Ukrainian people, but instead of this a Petersburg liberal with
pro-Western way of thinking will go there," Melnikov said.
The candidatures of ambassadors are submitted to the State Duma by the
Russian president. After their approval by members of the lower house
relevant committees - international specialising in the "far abroad" and
the CIS specialising in "near abroad" - the candidatures are to be
endorsed by the Federation Council upper house. After the FC members'
approval the papers are returned for signing to the president who appoints
the new diplomatic representative of Russia.
Judging by the balance of forces in the Duma committee headed by
Ostrovsky, there should be no problems with the approval of Zurabov, 55,
for the post. The committee has 8 deputies, including the chairman, first
deputy chairman, three deputy chairmen and three 'rank-and-file' members.
Five of them are United Russia members, and one representative from the
LDPR, Just Russia party and from the Communists each.
In the event of his approval Zurabov will replace on the post of RF
ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin. On June 11, the "heavyweight"
of Russian politics, ex-Prime Minister Chernomyrdin was relieved from the
duties of ambassador and appointed RF presidential adviser. He has the
duties of the special representative of the RF president on issues of
economic cooperation with CIS states.
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