MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the phrase ‘unfriendly countries’ inexact and incorrect, because it is not so much the countries themselves but rather their elites or leaders that are unfriendly.

"The phrase ‘unfriendly countries’ has entered the public consciousness and into common usage here. But, it does not accurately reflect existing realities. You could say that it doesn't reflect the reality at all, because what we have are unfriendly elites in a certain number of countries, unfriendly rulers," Putin stated at the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) on Thursday.

He lamented the fact that the political systems in many countries "often bring people to prominence who have a rather low level of education and general cultural awareness; at times they do not understand what they say and do." "The result, as is well known, is clear for all to see. Their activities are detrimental to their own people and to their own businesses," the president stressed.