Russian innovation institutions still in operation despite sanctions - Medvedev
MOSCOW. Sept 8 (Interfax) - Despite Western sanctions, Russian innovation institutions are still in operation, though now is not the best time for their development, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian newspaper Vedomosti.
"Now is not the best time to develop innovation. We are surrounded by sanctions on all sides. But this course has not been wound up and all innovation institutions are in operation," he said in the interview, which commemorated the 15th anniversary of the publication.
Responding to a statement that innovations in the fields of innovation and technology that Medvedev put forward when he was president were now frozen, the prime minister noted the example of Skolkovo, where "everything is going as planned. Both budgetary and private financing are being carried out in full. Though the foreign firms that work there are 'screeching' because of several of their foreign bosses, they are not going anywhere and they haven't closed anything," Medvedev said.
"Overall, the country's course is determined by [its] leadership, first and foremost by the president. It's pointless to pretend that the country is currently in the same situation as in 2009, for example. There were specific challenges and difficulties then, specific priorities. And if something has changed since then, that's normal," he said.