Vladimir Putin on Wednesday severely criticised Karelia’s head Sergei Katanandov for having gone on a vacation before a new administration was formed in Kondopoga, a scene of recent ethnic clashes, Itar-Tass news agency reports

Putin expressed hope that Katanandov will learn his lessons for the future.

“Serious tragic events happened, they reverberated across the country, but you, the head of the region, left for a vacation [in Portugal] before … the administration was formed in Kondopoga,” the president said in a meeting with Katanandov.

“Of course it’s warmer in Portugal, but Kondopoga is important to us,” the president said, adding, “It’s good that you are dealing with this now, but I think this should be a good lesson for you and all other officials of your rank.”

“All of us should take close to heart what is happening in our country,” Putin said.

During a live telecast on October 25, Putin said he would have a “very serious” conversation with Katanandov.

The head of the republic got in the limelight after the president said during a questions-and-answers session with the nation on October 25 that he could not reach him by telephone in order to talk about the situation in Karelia, where ethnic clashes had happened some time before that.

“Unfortunately, I tried to reach the head of Karelia several times, but he was on a plane and now he is on a vacation,” Putin said, responding to a question whether regions needed authorities that allowed such incidents.

“But I will have a very serious talk with him about this,” Putin said.

He admitted that it was the first time had failed to reach the head of a region by telephone during both of his presidential terms. “This is the first time I could not reach the head of a region. This has never happened before during all years of my work,” he added.

“But that’s not what matters. After all you apologised and we could consider the issue solved. The problem is that the head of the republic left for a vacation before a local administration as formed,” Putin said.

“I have appointed my representative. We are working, but you are right of course. It’s a very harsh assessment. I was probably wrong. I will make conclusions,” Katanandov said.

“Good,” Putin replied.

Katanandov interrupted his vacation in Portugal and returned to Russia. He said he could not be reached by phone because “the officers on duty did not inform me on time about a telephone call from the president and did not do anything to get in touch with the head of state.”

Katanandov said he had apologised to presidential chief of staff Sergei Sobyanin during a meeting after his return from Portugal and to Putin in a telephone conversation during the weekend. He talked to the head of state twice over the weekend. During one of them, they agreed in a meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting was also necessitated by recent ethnic clashes in Karelia’ s Kondopoga where two local residents were killed and four severely injured during a mass fight on the night from August 29 to August 30. Public unrests followed and continued for several days.

Several regional and local officials were fired after the incident.

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