Restrictions on foreign films is extremity

President Vladimir Putin believes it to be an extremity to impose restrictions on foreign-made films.

Quotas can protect the film and other products markets, and can deprive consumers of cheap but agreeable quality goods, deny them access to the Russian market, said the president. He offered his comments on a statement by Karen Shakhnazarov, Russia's famed film director now heading the Mosfilm concern, in which he urged to impose restrictions on the release of foreign-made films.

Certain measures to protect some of the Russian market's segments are by all means justified, he admitted. However, he warned against going to extremes.

President Putin then singled out the problem of unsanctioned excavation Mikhail Piotrovsky, Hermitage chief, had raised in his speech. The president urged resolution of this problem.

The president promised relative instructions to the federal Interior and Culture Ministries, as well as to regional authorities. "This is a serious problem, but, unfortunately, we tend to overlook it," said Vladimir Putin.