'We will respond just like during the last crisis'Analysts believe that advanced economies are about to plunge into another recession. Russia's Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin discussed with RT Russia's plans of dealing with the world's economic challenges. RT: Thank you very much for joining me, Mr. Kudrin. Aleksey Kudrin: Hello. RT: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia has sustained the head of the crisis and that in fact the level of unemployment in Russia now is lower than it was before the crisis. We know very well that you deserve credit for Russia actually being able to withstand a very severe financial crisis several years ago. We are talking about the stabilization fund that you developed and other measures. But here we see a new wave of problems in the world economy, probably another global crisis around the corner. Can Russia withstand it using the same methods or do the methods have to change? AK: The new wave is not yet called a "crisis". There are some manifestations of a crisis - a harbinger. However, most economists are inclined to think there will be not a new recession, but slower rates of development for a lengthy period of several years or perhaps even decades. This will certainly have an impact on Russia as demand for our goods - oil, gas, metals - will be lower. At the same time, we are expecting higher growth rates in Russia, as Western experts predict, too. Our growth rate of about three to four per cent is not that bad, and we are not expecting a fall in the economy like it was in 2009, when the GDP literally fell by 5.9 per cent. There is a more pessimistic scenario though, but most analysts tend to think there won't be a second wave of such a scale. Under these conditions we still have to remain vigilant and must be ready, in case of the worst scenario, to apply the same methods. We still have considerable reserves, although smaller, but as a whole, enough like we needed last time. If this does not last too long, we will be able to resolve the problem and get out of the crisis. Should it be longer than necessary, we will have to adjust our policy. So far, all has been not bad. RT on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RT_com RT on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RTnews code pour embarquer la vidéo : >>> http://www.youtube.com/embed/B_Wj2INeYHQ <<< |