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Russia not to curtail cooperation with companies not participating in Economic Forum

MOSCOW, May 06. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia will not change its attitude towards Western companies whose executives would be forced by the United States administration not to take part in the Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Sergei Belyakov said on Tuesday.

“Unlike the United States administration, we do not accept such form of dialogue as pressure on business, undisguised blackmail and threats,” he told the Rossiya 24 TV channel. “That is why our attitude to companies will not change. We have assured them of that. They understand it only too well that they are victims,” Belyakov said.

“Obviously, we will prefer to develop cooperation with those companies that would take part and we will be able to have a direct contact with. But it in no way means that we will avoid possible presence in the Russian economy of those companies that will not be present,” he said.