PARIS, June 12 (Itar-Tass) - Sergei Guriyev, the ex-rector of the Russian Economic School, hopes to return to Russia as soon as possible, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich told journalists on Wednesday.
According to Dvorkovich, he met with Guriyev earlier on Wednesday to talk over the reasons why the ex-rector emigrated from Russia. “If the reasons he spoke about no longer exist, it will be possible for him to return,” Dvorkovich said. “Of course, he hopes to do that as soon as possible.”
“He is a Russian citizen and does not rule out his coming back,” Dvorkovich noted and added that Guriyev had explained his reasons “quite plain.”
“So far he plans to work and live here. He travels a lot, he gives lectures. He is quite all right,” Dvorkovich added.
Announcing his plans to meet with Guriyev, Dvorkovich said on Wednesday he had known Guriyev for a long time and used to study with his wife, Yekaterina Zhuravskaya. He said he did not “condemn” Guriyev’s decision. At the same time, he said he was sorry the man had taken this decision.
Earlier, Guriyev said he had to hastily leave Russia because he feared to be stripped off his passport or arrested. He said he has received an invitation to take up a lecturer position at the Paris-based university Sciences Po.
According to Russian media reports, investigators were sanctioned by court to seize Guriyev’s electronic mail for several years. “I cannot say what kind of documents were of interest for them, neither can I say about what I was interrogated, since I have signed a confidentiality document. But what I can say is that their improper actions were absolutely ungrounded and my witness status on the Khodorkovsky case could have been changed for that of an accused. An investigation against me has been launched. I don’t know whether I would be prosecuted,” Guriyev said.