Putin: Parliament should head towards multi-party approach

29 Jun, 2008 06:47 / Updated 16 years ago

The Russian parliament should be more open to discussions and head towards a more multi-party approach, according to Russia's PM Vladimir Putin, who's meeting United Russia, the country's biggest party.

Putin, who's also leader of the party, is meeting deputies from the party in a country villa in the Moscow Region. “We have an enormous amount of parliamentary influence. We can pass any law, even a constitutional one, but real political leadership doesn't mean being isolated with your own ideas and instantly rejecting those of other people. We should be the initiators of dialogue and discussion,” Putin said at the meeting. The country’s economy was also among the issues discussed. In particular, the PM asked the deputies to support the law against administrative barriers in the economy.   “We need to support small businesses and remove administrative barriers. We need to reduce the number of different inspections and types of business licences. The draft law is ready. It's a whole package and I ask you to support it,” he added.