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US sanctions force Russia to create safety margin for economy — official

The country’s dependence on international debt is approximately twice lower now than it was in 2014, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Andrey Belousov said

ST. PETERSBURG, June 3. /TASS/. Sanctions imposed by the US have prompted Russia to create a safety margin, dramatically reducing international debt, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Andrey Belousov said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Thursday.

"US sanctions have inflicted certain damages but they give rise to two trends. The first trend is that we created safety margins in all of the most important areas of the Russian economy," Belousov said.

"The second trend is that we dramatically slashed international debt. This pertains to corporate debt. The country’s dependence on international debt is approximately twice lower now than it was in 2014. We had a situation quite recently when our gold and currency reserves were above the total foreign debt of the country. That is, we are highly confident," he added.