The President called on local leadership for active cooperation

On Friday, a meeting of the Council of Regions was held in Livadia, chaired by President Viktor Yanukovych. Kommersant learned the details of the closed part of the event. Representatives of local authorities discussed the events of May 9 in Lviv and, at the insistence of the head of state, abandoned the harsh statement of the Council of Regions on this issue. Mr. Yanukovych also announced the possibility of layoffs in the government’s humanitarian bloc and instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to redistribute the country’s forest resources.

Viktor Yanukovych’s working trip to Crimea began with the fact that on Thursday he took part in the grand opening of the Prime Yalta Rally 2011, a stage of the World Rally Cup. On this day, the head of state’s work program lasted about an hour; The main official event of the trip - a meeting of the Council of Regions - took place the next day at the Livadia Palace.

Despite the fact that the main topic of the meeting was “preventing manifestations of radicalism, civil intolerance and confrontation in society,” Mr. Yanukovych began his speech by talking about the difficult economic situation in the country. “This year we need to pay off debts amounting to about 90 billion UAH. We have already managed to repay about half since the beginning of the year,” said the head of state. “Besides, if you think that the crisis is over, then you are mistaken. Look at Ireland, Portugal, not to mention Greece."

From economics, Viktor Yanukovych moved on to the problem of “political radicalism and ideological extremes.” According to the president, the events of May 9 in Lvov “caused fighting on the Maidans and increased tension in society.” “Such conflicts hinder the development of the state; such political games can even lead to a split in the country,” he said.

The head of state linked the problem of radicalism with economic difficulties. In this part of his speech there was also room for reproaches against the previous government. “Problems have been accumulating over the past five years: poverty, low quality of life, unemployment, corruption constantly create the ground for people’s discontent. Radical political forces are cynically taking advantage of difficulties,” the president said, adding that the problems were aggravated by the incompetent state policy in the youth sphere.

“I want to warn Dmitry Tabachnik (Minister of Education and Science, Youth and Sports - Kommersant) together with Ravil Safiullin (Head of the State Service for Youth and Sports - Kommersant). If you pursue a policy that today does not unite young people, but forces them take to the streets under different slogans, you will end up with what your predecessors ended up doing at the last government meeting,” Viktor Yanukovych threatened. As you know, the last meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers ended with the dismissal of, among others, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services Viktor Tikhonov (see Kommersant on June 2).

Mr. Yanukovych was also dissatisfied with the work of governors who do not ensure cultural exchange between regions. “Previously, heads of administrations traveled from west to east and from east to west. Why are you now sitting like moles in holes?” — the president asked those present menacingly. The officials to whom this reproach was addressed refrained from answering.

At the end of the president’s speech, journalists were asked to leave the hall, but Kommersant was able to find out what was happening in the closed part of the event. Viktor Yanukovych made it clear that only Mr. Safiullin will most likely be responsible for the failure in the field of work with youth. “Warn Safiullin - the way he works today does not suit me. I do not accept explanations that he lacks authority or anything like that,” the president said.

Among the issues not listed on the agenda, but discussed behind closed doors, it is worth noting the revision of the forest land management scheme initiated by the president. Viktor Yanukovych said that forests should be removed from the balance of the Ministry of Defense - this, in his opinion, will improve fire safety. “Forests should be included in forestry. And the method of cooperation with the Ministry of Defense must be chosen in such a way that it does not interfere with the military carrying out their programs and conducting exercises,” Mr. Yanukovych emphasized, adding that he will personally join the group developing a scheme for the balance redistribution of land, “ to resolve this issue in a businesslike manner."

During the closed part of the meeting, the topic of preventing manifestations of radicalism was raised by several governors. Representatives of the south and east of Ukraine limited themselves to restrained speeches - for example, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, read from a sheet a text containing assurances that “xenophobia will not bear poisonous fruits on the Crimean soil.”

Only the speech of Lvov Mayor Andrei Sadovoy, who outlined his vision of the events of May 9, was emotional. In his opinion, the Lviv events have two culprits: the media, which “need scandals and fights,” and the government, which did not provide conditions for reconciliation between the east and west of Ukraine. “Our country is really different. We sometimes have different interpretations of historical events, we sometimes even speak different languages... But it depends only on the media what a resident of Donetsk sees on the TV screen in the evening after work,” said the mayor of Lvov to applause. “Bye a Donetsk resident will not respect the UPA’s struggle, and a Galician will not understand that the Soviet army for Eastern Ukraine is not associated with repression, we will witness an increase in extremism, because there is soil for it.”

At the end of the meeting, a final statement was to be adopted, the draft of which was distributed to the participants. However, Mr. Yanukovych, closing the meeting, suddenly said that this document should be edited. “As for the point about analyzing the decisions of regional councils, including extremist ones... I think the time for this (open criticism of such decisions - Kommersant) has not come,” the president noted.

- Let's not play politics - I am addressing the chairmen of regional councils from both the east and the west. This doesn't offend you, does it, heads of regional councils? - Mr. Yanukovych added.

“No,” voices from the hall answered vyingly.

“Emotions must be hidden; under no circumstances should they be transferred into public policy.” Therefore, tolerance and balance are what have always clearly emphasized the features of the Ukrainian people. Wisdom must be present, tolerance. And then we will conquer everything, and we will have no strangers or our own. Everyone will be the same. So let's live! How? - the president asked the audience.

“Friendly,” the Council of Regions answered him in unison.

Zair Akadyrov, Livadia; Sergey Sidorenko

They will be friends between the regions