Interfax: Russia will protect itself from Western sanctions by long-term measures, says Lavrov

Sergei Lavrov file photo

(Interfax – October 14, 2014) Russia will use long-term measures to protect itself from Western sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

“We will certainly adopt all the measures needed to protect ourselves from unlawful restrictions. You are aware of the resources that are being allocated for these purposes. Beyond any doubt, it will be a long-term program,” he told executives from European Business Association companies in Moscow on Tuesday.

Such a long-term program is already being implemented, Lavrov said.

“But its goal is not to allow us to “pad down” for a year or two. Rather, it is aimed at excluding any risks for us to find ourselves in a similar situation at any point in the future,” Lavrov said.

“However, it does not mean that upon the completion of this unhappy period in our relations we will refuse to pursue cooperation in innovations and high technologies. Absolutely not. But we will simultaneously enhance the potential of the sectors that are key to our economy and defense industry in order to avoid any dependence, which our partners are evidently trying to abuse today,” the minister said.

“As for us, we see that these sanctions are negatively affecting the process of cooperation in high technologies as well,” Lavrov said, adding that several meetings chaired by the Russian president and government sessions addressed this issue.

 

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