Putin says external pressure gives Russia chance to develop

(Interfax – November 3, 2015)

Russia has a unique opportunity to develop because external forces are trying to hinder it, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. He was speaking at a meeting with representatives of scientific, cultural, public and religious organizations in Dagestan on 3 November, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported.

“Life has worked out such that for us, those who wanted to hinder us have even helped us, because we are forced to concentrate our efforts on our own internal development. And what we easily bought yesterday for so-called oil dollars today we are thinking about how to produce ourselves,” Putin was quoted as saying.

For this it is necessary to work on fundamental and applied science, to develop high-tech production, he said.

“We will do all this, but of course with the active support of all our citizens,” he said.

Putin said that a lot still needs to be done for the internal development of the country.

“I would say that it is even a unique chance, unique conditions for this have emerged,” Putin said.