Part II: Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin Talks To Mike Wallace In An Exclusive Interview

(CBS)  WALLACE: OK. Corruption is every place in Russia. Agreed? Why? To get anything done, money. You want an apartment? A bribe. You want a job? A bribe. You wanna get people to service you in various ways? A bribe. Why? And you know who tells me this? My Russian friends. They're disgusted by it, but they say it's a fact of life. Corruption in Russia.

TRANSLATOR: Have your American friends never told you about corruption in the United States--

WALLACE: Of course.

TRANSLATOR: -- or in any other countries?

WALLACE: -- about it. Of course. We talk about it.

TRANSLATOR: And we speak about our problems too. It’s connected to what you asked me about before: the oligarchs. For their own benefit, they took advantage of state institutions, which caused low-level government officials at those institutions to say, "Why don't I act the same way?"

WALLACE: That's correct. If they can do it, I can do it.

TRANSLATOR: This infiltration of business into the government structures provides fertile soil for corruption in the country. Let’s not forget that we can fight this only if we are successful in developing those things we discussed before: an independent media, efficient institutions of civil society, and a multi-partied system. We understand this very well, and it’s what we’re going to do. At the same time, we'll be increasing the efficiency of the state and the work of the law enforcement bodies, which are obligated to fight corruption.

WALLACE:
The truth, if you dare. How would you like to see Russia, like China, a one party state?

TRANSLATOR: Well, this is absolutely impossible for us. For Russia it is impossible.

WALLACE: Why?

TRANSLATOR: Because we have a different political culture. By and large Russia is a country of European culture. I think that if we go backward and don’t allow for the development of a real multi-partied system, then Russia will forfeit a lot in its development.

WALLACE: Do you resent getting lectures about democracy from President Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and the Western media?

TRANSLATOR: Well, they don’t lecture me, but I hear about their views.

WALLACE: Well, in Bratislava, the president said, "Hey, get with democracy." He said it not in those words, but in effect that's what he was saying to you. And that's what Condoleezza Rice said to you: Get with democracy.

TRANSLATOR: Well, Condoleezza said nothing of that sort to me personally. I know their point of view on this, and I hear and understand what they’re saying. I have already stated my views on this, and can repeat it.

WALLACE: You don't have to. You've agreed to disagree. Russia has the democracy that you believe Russia should have, and the United States should butt out.

TRANSLATOR: Not quite so. I said that we would gratefully accept opinions from the outside. Moreover, we are prepared to make use of that advice and of the experiences and practices of other countries such as the United States, which has a long history of democracy.

WALLACE: True.

TRANSLATOR: I say this with great respect, but we are against the United States using this issue to attain its own goals and as a way of putting on pressure. For example, we think it is absolutely unacceptable to be told what Russia should do in order to join the World Trade Organization. Cuba is a member of the WTO, the World Trade Organization. Do they have more democracy than we do?

WALLACE: Do you want to be a member of the World Trade Organization?

TRANSLATOR: Russia is one of the largest nations that does not belong to the WTO, and if the condition are acceptable to us, we would be prepared to join the organization.