Report: PM: Russia not to adjust economy for any country

MOSCOW, Jul 4 (PRIME) -- Russia will not adjust its economy for any country, including such large trade partner as Turkey, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told Rossiya 1 television channel in a program broadcast on July 2.

Turkey accounted for 5% of Russia’s foreign trade before relations between the countries worsened after Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 jet in November 2015, Medvedev said.

“This is actually a big figure. But nevertheless whatever happened has happened. To say directly it is not our fault. That’s why some economic niches were occupied by other countries,” he said.

“This process to resume trade and economic cooperation and solve a number of associated political issues, including visas and others, will be divided into several stages. Let’s not rush things, we will be ready to hold all these talks with our Turkish colleagues,” Medvedev said.

In late June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing his condolences to the family of the downed plane’s pilot. Shortly after a phone conversation with Erdogan, Putin ordered the government to start normalizing relations with Turkey, signed a decree abolish restrictions against the country and ordered measures be taken to abolish a ban on charter flights between the countries.

Russia has managed to develop its agriculture industry in such a way that is ready to fully meet its own demands, Medvedev said. The country also has a buffer to fulfill its social obligations, he said.

“The economy has a vast buffer, and we expect that this buffer will allow us to solve all social and economic tasks set in the program,” he said.

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