Economy, fight against terror needs focus-Putin
January 1, 2014, 4:25 am

Putin also sent congratulatory messages to heads of state of the member BRICS nations [PPIO]

“Next year, a lot needs to be done in the economy, to improve the lives of people and to hold, on the best possible scale, the Olympic Games, which are to begin in just over a month,” he said.

The Russian President broke with tradition to give two separate new year’s address.

In the second address to residents of the Russian far-eastern city of Khabarovsk Putin said Tuesday that Russia would continue to battle terrorists until all are eliminated.

“Dear friends, we bow our heads before the victims of cruel terrorist attacks. We will continue fighting terrorists in a confident, tough and relentless manner until they are completely eliminated,” Putin said.

Putin on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to Khabarovsk, which had been hit by devastating floods in late August and early September.

Two separate suicide bombings in the southern Russian city of Volgograd ripped through Volgograd’s railway terminal on Sunday and a trolleybus on Monday, killing a total of 34 people.

Another attack by a female suicide bomber on a commuter bus in Volgograd in October killed six people and injured 37.

Putin also sent congratulatory messages to heads of state of the member BRICS nations.

“The President of Russia expressed confidence that in 2014 the Russian-Indian privileged strategic partnership based on age-long traditions of friendship and mutual respect will be enhanced and filled with new meaning,” a Kremlin statement quoted Putin.

“In his message to Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping on the New Year and the upcoming Spring Festival, Vladimir Putin stressed that the March visit by the Chinese leader to Russia gave a strong impetus to enhancing partnership…” said the statement.

“The message of congratulations to President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff notes the successful development of relations between the two countries in all key areas,” the statement added.

In his message to US President Barack Obama, Putin said the two sides need to engage in more frequent dialogue.

“The events of the past year clearly demonstrated how, acting in the spirit of partnership and on the basis of respecting one another, Russia and the United States are capable of making a real input into supporting global stability, resolving some of the most difficult international problems,” the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying in a statement.

Source: Agencies