Happiness lies in love, homeland is life: Putin

December 16th, 2011 - 2:19 am ICT by IANS  

Moscow, Dec 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin believes that a person is happy if he is able to love.

“Happiness lies in love,” Putin said, speaking at his annual live Q&A; session Thursday, while responding to a question asking what the word “homeland” means to him. Putin said, for him, homeland is life.

“We often say that the homeland is our mother. Yes, our country is still sick, but you are not leaving your sick mother’s bedside,” Putin said, referring to Russian citizens who had earlier left for permanent residence in other countries.

“We have a proverb saying life is better where we are not [the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence],” he said, recalling that he had lived for almost five years abroad and knows what it feels like.

“Do you think there are fewer problems with street crime? Do you think there is no manifestation of this kind from people who came from North Africa? Crime is off the scale there. In Paris, for example,” Putin said.

–IANS/RIA Novosti
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