25 May 2018 19:46

Russia to widen 'space of freedoms' - Putin

ST. PETERSBURG. May 25 (Interfax) - President Vladimir Putin said it is important to widen "the space of freedoms" and liberalize Russian legislation.

"We will be widening the space of freedom. We have talked about this often, but this is a fundamentally important thing, so I believe I must talk about it once again. This is fundamentally important for the establishment of a strong civil society, for the development of the economy and social sector, science, and culture," Putin said at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday.

"The course toward removing barriers and liberalizing legislation meets, above all, our citizens' interests and demands," he said.

"We will form conditions for doing business and working in Russia meeting the highest standards, including as concerns support for business initiatives," he said.