MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. External challenges and restrictions should not be a barrier for Russia’s scientific and technological development, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the Council for Science, Technology and Education.
"Science is not a thing in itself, it cannot develop in isolation from the problems the country is facing in its geopolitical, economic, demographic and social spheres, in the sphere of national security," Putin noted.
"The world is undergoing rapid changes. They affect all aspects of life, including the science and technology sphere," Putin said. "The leading powers try to respond flexibly to such trends by creating new mechanisms of support and development of the scientific research system."
On the other hand, "we must be prepared for competition, this is the question of our scientific and technological sovereignty to make sure that external challenges and constraints aimed at containing Russia, as well as the weakness of its own scientific potential do not become a barrier to our development and growth," Putin said.
"We are not talking about manufacturing every single item on our own, about the technological or scientific autarchy," the Russian president went on to say. "This is impossible. Intellectual isolation may only result in backwardness."
According to Putin, "if we are able to provide leadership in a number of key areas, if our partners depend on Russia’s technologies and, at the same time, if we are able to quickly absorb and use other countries’ expertise, such interdependence will significantly strengthen our position."
"We will be able to talk on equal terms with other participants in the global technological development, we will be immune to all kinds of risks," he added.