Boris Berezovski: "Before crisis Vladimir Putin's fortune made at least $40 bln"

- When speaking during Jeff Randall Live analytical program on economy on British Sky News TV channel you accused Russian government in money laundering on the West and use of illegal means to expand control on the global markets. In this connection my first question will be: how rich do you think Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin is?

- I am confident that Vladimir Putin's fortune is not less than the fortune of Roman Abramovich. I say this because Abramovich and Putin are business partners. As for a definite amount, I think before the world financial and economic crisis Vladimir Putin's fortune was at least about $40 bln.

- How much has Vladimir Putin lost in the global financial and economic crisis?

- Naturally, very much, though only Putin can specify the amount of his financial losses. Certainly, the attemps to rescue his funds. And by this I can explain the fact that there appeared the idea of investing about $4,4 bln to the Iseland banks. On the whole, Putin and his confidants try to invest Russian "dirty money"throughout the whole world in order to minimize losses from the implications of the global financial crisis via the brach net of company.

- In this case, don't you think the recent Russian-Ukraine gas scandal was caused by Putin's pursuing his personal interests in this scandal, also attempting to minimize his losses from implications of the global financial crisis?

- The Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict is a unit of economic and political motives and it is unclear which of these motives were dominating. But I am confident that Vladimir Putin has economic interests in Gazprom. In 1998-1999 Vladimir Putin asked me to give Gazprom under his personal control.

- Does Putin have any financial interests in the Russian military and industrial complex?

- I have no exact information on this issue, but I know that Vladimir Putin has interests in everything. Therefore, I can not exclude that he has financial interests in the Russian military-industrial complex. Moreover, it would be strange if he did not have, as it is clear that Vladimir Putin, being the Russian President,  gave the military and industrial complex to his friends.

- In this case can Vladimir Putin has a personal hand in the free delivery of arms to Armenia?

- Considering the factor that Russia has delivered military hardware to Armenia free of charge this is not a business project, the way of earning money. As for the political element of Russia's actions, they are quite quire. Russia attempt to create more conflict areas in the whole former USSR and Nagorno Karabakh conflict is among such conflict points.

In particular, at that time when I was the CIS executive secretary I had meetings with respected Heydar Aliyev and the then-president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan. And I remember well the nervous reaction to all attempts to settle the Karabakh conflict of Mr.Primakov and representative of the Russian Federal Security Service. They were resisting the resolution of the Karabakh conflict by all means.

And I am confident that Russia's attempt to stimulate Armenia beginning from the free supply of arms of a total of $800 mln and to the issuance of credits is a proof of the real attitude of Russia towards the resolution of the Karabakh. Russia will always try to keep the Caucasus in the area of its influence by all means.

- In this case, can it be said that Russia which you said will try to keep the Caucasus in the area of its influence, is associated with the recent murder of commander-in-chief of the air forces and air defense troops of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Rail Rzayev?

- I have no professional information of who is behind this murder and I learned about it from mass medias.

But I can not rule out Russia's participation in criminal plots, including with termination of people, by means of which Russia will try to settle its own problem. The typical example is the murder of former officer of the Federal Security Service Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned by Polonium-210 in London. The traces of this crime lead directly to the Kremlin, to Vladimir Putin. And if Russian special services, pursuing their goals, are not afraid of open murder of people in London, why should I rule out the possible participation of the Russian special services in the murder of commander of air forces and air defense troops of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Rail Rzayev?!

/Day.Az/