ST. PETERSBURG, June 15. /TASS/. Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has told TASS that she respects Russian President Vladimir Putin for being a serious leader.

"I think he has all the qualifications for being a very serious leader. To run such a huge country for 23 years, you have to have certain qualities. So I respect him for that," the ex-top diplomat said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The oxygen gets smaller and smaller the higher you are upstairs. There is less oxygen, and in order to breathe there, in order to manage intrigues, in order to manage jealousy and rivalries, you have to have a very good knowledge of human nature <...> and that is something he definitely has. And the power of focusing, concentration, and fitness are also important," she pointed out. According to her, it’s also crucial "to keep on motivating the rest, especially under the current circumstances."

When asked if she supported Putin as Russia’s leader, Kneissl said: "It’s up to the Russians to choose their leader, I’m not a Russian."

Kneissl also noted that she was "still very much pursuing the idea of moving to Russia." Earlier, she moved to Lebanon following a political scandal in Austria.

When asked if she would like to obtain a Russian passport, the former Austrian foreign minister said that it wasn’t up to her to decide. "To become Russian, I have to learn Russian well, I have to finish War and Peace, <...> then I have to read Dostoevsky and at least two [works by] Chekhov, and then we will discuss it," she said jokingly. "If you change your passport - and I think you can’t have two passports - you can only be a citizen of one country, in my eyes. Even so, in my mind, I am very open," Kneissl said. "I feel French, if you ask me what I feel. I miss France, I don’t miss Austria. I feel European. I also feel a bit Arab because I grew up there and it’s in my mindset also," Kneissl confessed.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) - Russia’s showcase annual economic and business event - is being held on June 14-17. The theme of this year’s forum is: "Sovereign Development as the Basis of a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations." The forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the official information partner of the event.