HIGHLIGHTS - Putin delivers keynote speech on economy, Ukraine
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Here are quotes from Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual state of the union speech to members of parliament and other top officials in the Kremlin on Thursday. ROUBLE "I ask to for work to be carried out to fight off the desire to speculate on fluctuations of the Russian currency." SANCTIONS "This is not just a nervous reaction of the United States and their allies to our stance in regard to the events and coup in Ukraine; not even in regard to the so-called Crimean spring. I am certain that if all this did not take place... they would come up with another reason to contain Russia's growing capabilities, to influence it or, even better, use it for its own goals." "The policy of containment was not invented yesterday. It has been applied to our country for many, many years.. every time when anyone only thinks Russia has become strong, independent, such instruments are applied immediately." "But there is no point in talking to Russia from a position of strength." "We will never pursue the path of self-isolation, xenophobia, suspicion and search of enemies. All this is manifestation of weakness, while we are strong and self-confident." "Our goal is to have as many equal partners in the West and in the East ... Under no circumstances are we going to wind down our ties with Europe." ECONOMY "I propose freezing the current tax conditions and not changing them for the next four years." "I propose a full amnesty for capital returning to Russia ... This means that if people legalise their resources, they get a guarantee that they won't be bothered ... won't be asked about the sources ... there will be no questions from the tax and law enforcement bodies to them. This should be done and done once." "As for small business, I propose providing 'inspection holidays' for them. If an enterprise enjoys a solid reputation, and it had no significant complaints in three years, then over the next three years I propose not to carry out planned checks on the state and local levels at all." CRIMEA "Finally, there was a historic reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia." "For Russia, Crimea ... has a great civilisational and sacred meaning." UKRAINE "Every nation has an inalienable, sovereign right to its own path of development ... Russia always has and always will respect that. This applies fully to Ukraine, the brotherly Ukrainian nation." "We have condemned the coup, the forcible seizure of power in Kiev in February. What we are seeing now in Ukraine, the tragedy in the southeast, fully confirms that our position is right." "How can one support an armed seizure of power, violence, murder? ... How can one support the attempts that followed to suppress with the help of armed forces the people in the southeast who did not agree with this lawlessness? ... This is pure cynicism. I am sure that the Ukrainian nation itself will judge these events in a just way." (Reporting by Moscow newsroom, Compiled by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
