MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says Moscow is ready to develop relations with Baltic countries "on the basis of equality", noting, however, that states of the region were not eager to cooperate with Russia and gave it an "enemy image".
"I think that this [policies of the Baltic states] is just a standard method of political management in Baltic countries. In some places it manifests itself stronger and in others, weaker - very often it’s all subjective," Medvedev said.
Policies of the Baltic states "depended, in very large measure, on the personality of an individual leader", he said. "But we are ready to develop normal, full-fledged relations with all Baltic countries.
"Twenty-five years have been spent in vain, but it’s not our fault," Medvedev told the World Russian Press Congress.
"It would be wrong to say that we are pleased with such course of events," the premier said, answering the questions from the participants in the congress.
"Of course, we would like to have normal, productive, advanced relations with the Baltic countries, including with Estonia," he noted, adding that "there were no such relations since the former Soviet republics gained independence."
"While our country was able to establish such advanced, special, good relations with major European powers, which remain the same even during the sanctions period, unfortunately, this was not the case with the Baltic countries," the Russian premier said.
Medvedev added that "the reasons for that were obvious, they were political ones." "The simplest method of political management is to create the enemy image, it always works, in any country. The more you whip up tensions, the greater consolidation you have," he said. "If such a huge nation as Russians lives next door to you, if a nuclear power is located close to you, why not take advantage of the situation, especially amid some Soviet-era phobias that still exist?" Medvedev said.