PYATIGORSK, May 19. /TASS/. Interethnic harmony is the key foundation of Russia’s statehood, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"The main thing for us is to strengthen from within, to strengthen our statehood, the foundation of our homeland and our future. This foundation is interethnic harmony," the Russian president said at a meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations.

According to him, this is absolutely obvious for such a multinational country as Russia. According to him, this is absolutely obvious for such a multinational country as Russia. "This is a basic condition for the existence of Russian statehood. Everyone should understand this, and no one, especially real patriots of Russia, should ever take political advantage of this issue and use it in the current political conjuncture. If they are really patriots of the country," Putin pointed out.