PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS
27.03.2020
Vladimir Putin took part in the Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ SummitVladimir Putin took part in the Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit.
The summit focused on fighting the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the global economy.
Taking part in the virtual summit on the Russian side were Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the G20 (Russia’s G20 Sherpa) Svetlana Lukash.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Your Majesty, colleagues,
It appears to me that the current problems caused by the new coronavirus pandemic will result in far greater shocks than the financial crisis of 2008–2009, and the trade conflicts and sanctions are worsening the recession.
From our point of view, the key risk lies in long-term unemployment which, regardless of the future scenario, will peak much higher than in 2009. Unemployment dynamics will also serve as a key efficiency indicator for our anti-crisis measures.
The current crisis will inevitably take its toll on global development, and for the long term. Therefore, certainly, we cannot afford to act with an every-man-for-himself approach, our colleagues have said a lot about it already. I absolutely agree with that.
I will start with the top-priority tasks in healthcare.
First. As has been said, of course it is necessary to continue a regular exchange of credible information about the pandemic’s progress in our countries and about the actions being taken. It was also brought up that it is necessary to provide aid to the African countries. I believe that overall today, the World Health Organisation should channel its efforts to detecting hidden coronavirus epidemics in the countries that are not able to organise testing. Also, joint research by our countries could significantly expedite the development of vaccines and medications.
Now, a few words about the economy. The Russian Government is allocating 1.2 percent of Russia’s GDP to fight this crisis. Russia’s Central Bank is providing approximately the same amount of support. But all of us, the Group of 20, need a common action plan to stabilise the situation, support our economies and restore trust across global markets.
Of course, national budgets should play a key role in increasing global demand. However, due to the high volatility of global markets that we see every day, borrowing options are limited for many countries – and we must also take this into account.
The situation is getting complicated. In this respect, it is very important, it is extremely important now to ensure access to financing for countries that are suffering from resource shortages, I mean especially countries that have been affected by the crisis and pandemic. In this regard, we could consider creating a special fund under the auspices of the IMF, financed primarily by the central banks that issue currencies included in the IMF basket, and then granting the right to any IMF member to borrow money from this fund in proportion to his share in the world economy at a zero rate for the long term.
A lot has also been said about the need to ensure supply chains. This is certainly important. But it is equally important to create so-called green corridors for the duration of the crisis, free from trade wars and sanctions, for the mutual supply of medicines, food, equipment and technology.
Ideally, we should impose a moratorium, a joint moratorium on restrictions on essentials, as well as on financial transactions for their procurement. And first of all, I am talking about countries that are suffering the most from this pandemic. In the end, this is a question of life and death of people, it is a purely humanitarian issue. We need to cleanse these issues from all kinds of political husk.
When keeping the G20’s traditional cooperation between the ministries of finance, the central banks and Sherpas, we could strengthen our cooperation at the economic adviser level during this crisis. They have direct access to state leaders and can make decisions urgently, informally and quickly.
And in conclusion, I would like to say a few words about global international organisations. Obviously, they lack mechanisms for automatic stabilisation in the event of a crisis. And so, it is necessary to efficiently and as quickly as possible, work through and resolve all the issues related to their reorganisation.
Thank you for your attention.
LATEST EVENTS
Following the events on January 5-6, the situation in the country is gradually improving. Economic activities in the republic are returning to normal. Passenger train services have been restored in full, and additional trains were rolled out to serve the most popular destinations. The operation of some of the national payment systems has stabilised. It has been announced that state support will be provided for small and medium-sized businesses that suffered from looting. Public transport has resumed operation in the Mangystau Region as well as at Aktau International Airport.
On January 6, 2022, the CSTO Collective Security Council, which comprises heads of state and government of CSTO member states, in response to the request by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, made a decision to send CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces to the Republic of Kazakhstan for a limited period of time, with the aim of stabilising and normalising the situation in the country.
Friends, colleagues,
I am delighted to welcome all of you to the commission’s first meeting. Established under President Vladimir Putin’s instructions, the commission’s main purpose is to support the Russian Federation in carrying out its foreign policy, primarily on foreign policy matters set forth in United Russia’s People’s Programme.
Question: Mr Grushko, discussions of the action plan regarding NATO’s expansion, which Russia has proposed to Washington, are ongoing. You have mentioned a “military-technical alternative,” if NATO rejects Moscow’s proposals. What do you have in mind?
Alexander Grushko: If our concerns are disregarded and NATO countries are not ready to show military restraint, we will have to use the response instruments at our disposal. There is no other option. If the other side decides to project, let alone use force, that is, if it applies its defence capability as a means of economic or political pressure, this will be unacceptable to Russia, and we will find methods to neutralise these threats.
The security situation in Europe, the Euro-Atlantic region and Eurasia has indeed greatly deteriorated recently. This has happened because of a series of concerted actions by the United States and its NATO allies, which, generally speaking, can be described as an attempt to undermine Russia’s security and to create a hostile environment around us. We cannot accept this.
On December 17, a meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA closed the seventh round of Vienna talks on restoring the full implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal. The participants noted that significant progress had been made, which paved the way for the next stage. The delegations will hold further consultations in their capitals.
As of December 18, 2021, the Russian Federation is no longer a party to the Treaty on Open Skies (Treaty) and has consequently ceased to be a member of the group of States Parties stipulated in its provisions.
We consider London’s latest unfounded anti-Russian attack to be practical confirmation of the British government’s intention to continue its destructive course in bilateral affairs. We are forced to state that the British authorities’ consistent efforts to ratchet up sanctions completely undermine Russia’s attempts at various levels to put interstate relations back on a constructive track.
During the December 15, 2021 meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry, the US party received a draft treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on security guarantees and an agreement on measures to ensure the security of the Russian Federation and member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
The Russian side strongly believes that the guilty verdict brought in by the German court against the citizen of the Russian Federation Vadim Sokolov on December 15 in the case of the murder of Georgian citizen Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, former terrorist gang leader in the North Caucasus, in Berlin on August 23, 2019, is extremely biased and is clearly a case of an explicit political put-up job. We insist that the Russian citizen is innocent. He has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Germany against the unjust verdict.
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