In a conciliatory speech after the conclusion of the Group of 20 (G20) summit on Thursday, the President of Russia, Dimitry Medvedev asserted that “Russia is not the Soviet Union” and pledged to work together with other G20 nations to address economic and security concerns facing Europe.
President Dimitry Medvedev has been the President of Russia since May 2008, succeeding Vladimir Putin, the current Prime Minister of Russia. He was formerly Putin’s chief of presidential staff, and Chairman of state-owned gas supplier Gazprom’s board of directors.
Medvedev also believed that the G20 nations had achieved a large degree of consensus on major economic issues, despite having different political and historical traditions. At the summit, the leaders agreed to financially reinforce the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and move toward green and efficient energy resources.
Medvedev also stressed that the issue of stability in the currency market was “very serious”. He said he was keen to support the development of strong regional currencies, based on the positive experience of the Euro.
Speaking about the Russian economy, the President noted that assets should remain within the domain of the private sector, and that any state support should be of a temporary nature. He suggested that Russia’s past experience as a command economy was “a great advantage” in dealing with the current crisis.
On the issue of energy security, the president affirmed that Russia was “not satisfied by the situation and the events of January,” referring to the dispute between Gazprom and the Ukranian gas company Naftohaz Ukrainy over gas supplies.
Medvedev expressed frustration at his stalled efforts in communicating with NATO member countries, claiming that numerous decisions taken by the trans-national military alliance were “superfluous and excessive”.
He also demonstrated keenness in working with the US, noting their desire to listen to Russia’s arguments, and referring to US President Barack Obama as a “comrade”. He made assurances that Russia would not “sabre-rattle” or “put on a show” with regards to its armed forces and defence policy.
(Photo by Cherie Leung)
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