MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. The West uses political, ethnic and religious extremism as a geopolitical instrument, including for trying to organize "color revolutions" in Russia, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Wednesday.
"Extremism is used as a geopolitical instrument, for reshaping the spheres of influence, overthrowing regimes undesirable for some countries by the means of organizing ‘color revolutions’," Matviyenko said. "The West makes attempts to organize them [‘color revolutions’] in Russia as well," she added. These efforts are directed at "discrediting the authorities and destabilizing the situation in Russia, and using both extremist elements and opposition for that," the speaker noted.
"The Russian government does not plan to embark on a course of ‘tightening screws’ and suppressing ‘dissent’," Matviyenko stressed. "The authorities are ready for dialogue with the opposition, they will continue to develop partnership with the civil society. Such dialogue and such partnership are important," she said. However, "it is useless to start discussions with those who works on orders from abroad, in the interests of a foreign country or foreign countries," Matviyenko added.
The policies of the Russian leadership enjoys "support of the majority," she said. In this sense, a "color revolution" is not a threat to Russia, she added. "We once again saw on the example of Ukraine how important it is for the state to be the state, and not the power instrument for oligarchic clans, certain social groups," Matviyenko concluded.