President Putin Stresses Inadmissibility Of Involving Interior Bodies In Economic Disputes

Vladimir Putin has stressed the inadmissibility of involving interior bodies in economic disputes. Speaking on Tuesday at an enlarged board of the Interior Ministry, the President called "completely intolerable" the involvement of interior bodies in "economic disputes between the so-called groups of influence." This is "a direct road to the weakening of the militia and the demoralisation of its personnel," believes the head of state. Vladimir Putin also stressed that one of the tasks of the Interior Ministry is to create "a favourable business environment in the country." Under the tradition, we have grown accustomed to believe that struggle against economic crime is a major direction of the work of power ministries." Meanwhile, today the main task of the Interior Ministry in this sphere is the struggle against "administrative lawlessness and pressure on business on the part of unscrupulous functionaries and officers of law-enforcement bodies." "Small and medium business are becoming the main target of criminals and bureaucratic racket," the President said. That is why, he believes, the law-enforcement bodies "are in actual fact the only force to protect them."