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Former Russian finance minister urges Russia to cooperate with West

‘I very much regret that we’re in world confrontation with the West," the ex-finance minister said, adding this path was "surely a dead-end way of development"
Former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin  Yuri Mashkov/TASS
Former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin
© Yuri Mashkov/TASS

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/. Former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Thursday Russia should "find a common language" with Western countries while safeguarding its interests.

Kudrin, who currently heads the Committee of Civil Initiatives, made this statement at the presentation of a joint report by the Committee and the Gorbachev Foundation entitled: "1985-2015: Values of Perestroika in the Context of Modern Russia" timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the launch of restructuring in the Soviet Union.

The ex-finance minister said Russia should safeguard its interests, both geopolitical and military, but at the same time it was important for the country "to find a common language with the leading Western powers" and "pursue the path of cooperation [with the West]."

‘I very much regret that we’re in world confrontation with the West," the ex-finance minister said, adding this path was "surely a dead-end way of development."