In his words, the situation in the North Caucasus is improving, including in the Ossetian-Ingush problem.
"We see a positive tendency but it should be consolidated," said Mr. Putin.
At the same time, the president believes, the fight against extremism should not prevent democratic development.
"We should prosecute any forms of extremism, including those which operate under the disguise of religious phraseology, but this should not violate human rights," said the head of state.
According to Mr. Putin, we should work out such forms of fighting extremism that would not bar the country's progress towards democracy.
The Russian head of state described the fact that international terrorism took the responsibility for the change of power in Spain as "a bad precedent." In his words, terrorists are continuing to blackmail Spain, demanding that the new leadership adopt these or other decisions. "This is absolutely inadmissible. We should bear it in mind and make relevant conclusions," stressed the president.
The Russian president believes the support for religious confessions and spiritual leaders to be the state's responsibility.
When commenting on the statement of Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov at the Public Forum of the Caucasus and south Russian people, who declared the need for financial support of the muftis, the president said, "the state is separate from religion but the state should find a form of supporting spiritual leaders." Mr. Putin recalled that in the former USSR religious figures were persecuted because they were the only legal opposition in the country. They emerged weak from this confrontation, noted the president.
"Therefore, I believe that the state is obliged to support religious confessions and our spiritual leaders ... within the legal framework," said Mr. Putin.
In his words, the same should be done "in the property sphere." "The government has received relevant instructions, and this issue is being addressed. And decisions to the effect will be adopted," said the president.
