Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday Russia would continue contributing to global and regional energy security despite economic difficulties.
"Our country has a deserved reputation as a reliable and responsible partner in the energy markets," Medvedev told the 14th ministerial meeting of the International Energy Forum, which was boycotted by U.S. and British representatives.
Noting Moscow equally valued its European and Asian partners, Medvedev said it was the Asia-Pacific region that currently shaped global economic process.
"Russia, being an integral part of that region, is going to actively participate in cooperation with the Asia-Pacific countries which are our current and future markets," the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.
On the same day, he said in a government meeting the Russian economy faced "serious restrictions," including shrinking investment, falling domestic consumer demand, capital outflow, soft global financial markets and decreasing demand for Russian exports.
The government had taken into consideration the worst-case scenario of economic development, Medvedev said, calling the forecast of Russian economic growth of 0.5 percent in 2014 "optimistic".
In April, the prime minister attributed Russia's economic difficulties to attempts of "some forces," but insisted his government was prepared for new conditions. In the same month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the Russian economy had slid into recession.
The Russian Ministry of Economic Development estimated seasonally adjusted gross domestic product in the first quarter of 2014 dropped 0.5 percent year-on-year.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/medvedev-says-russia-remains-reliable-energy-partner