Russia to carry on honoring energy contracts - Medvedev
MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - Russia will continue to honor energy contracts, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the 14th International Energy Forum ministerial meeting.
"Our country has, throughout its development, recommended itself as a reliable and responsible partner in the energy markets. We have honored our contractual obligations, and I would like to say, we intend to carry on doing so. Therefore we are making and will be making our contribution to both global and regional energy security. And we care about our reputation very much," he said.
All partners are important to Russia, both European and Asian, he said. "I would like to stress in particular that all partners are of importance to Russia, both Asian and European partners, and we are not refusing anybody we aren't going to say 'no' to anybody," he said.
But he said the contours of global economic security we being defined in the Asia-Pacific region at present. "Russia, as an integral part of this region, intends to take the most active part in this. Interaction with the Asia-Pacific countries is important for us not just as a future market and present-day market, but also from the point of view of accelerating the development of our country, a huge part of it, Siberia and the Far East," Medvedev said.
He also said the ministerial meeting was taking placed "at not the simplest of times" and in "not the simplest of circumstances in the Hotel Ukraine."
