ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. The dependence of the national economy on oil and gas revenues declined significantly in recent years, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The dependence of the Russian economy and the Russian budget on oil and gas revenues declined significantly in recent years - not during the time related to sanctions but simply over the recent years, in a natural way," the president said.

While the oil and gas component of the Russian GDP was above 40% before, the indicator is about 23% at present, Putin noted. "The difference is tremendous," the head of state stressed.