Report: Official calls for global integration of Russian economy

MOSCOW, Mar 28 (PRIME) -- Russia should strive for bigger integration of its economy into the global financial and economic system, the president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told television channel TV Tsentr on March 26.

“It is necessary to strive for bigger integration of the Russian economy into the global financial and economic system. We should struggle for it, we should make our economy competitive and a participant in the global competition. Only then we will stand on our legs confidently,” Peskov said.

A difficult situation on global markets and sanctions are not fatal for the Russian economy, he also said.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated to their worse since the Cold War due to a military conflict in Ukraine. The West introduced sanctions against some Russian individuals and firms and further against the energy and banking sectors. In response, Russia limited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Izvestia newspaper that Russia was not discussing abolishment of sanctions with the U.S. and the E.U.

“We are not discussing the criteria, conditions for the abolishment of sanctions. The U.S., as well as the E.U., introduced the sanctions on strained, illegal reasons and grounds, that’s why the issue of the sanctions abolishment should be fully addressed to the U.S. and the E.U. instead of Russia,” he said.

End