Cyprus situation may evoke series of local financial crises - Medvedev
GORKY, Moscow region. March 20 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev thinks that the situation in Cyprus may be the beginning of a new series of financial crises.
"Beyond any doubt everyone in the EU is concerned about this situation which may trigger a new series of local financial crises," Medvedev said in an interview with a number of European media and Interfax.
Asked whether the decision taken to solve the Cypriot debt problem will affect Russia-EU relations, Medvedev said: "We must wait until final decisions are made."
Commenting on the current situation, he said that such decisions "are of expropriator, confiscator nature."
"[The measure] is absolutely unprecedented. I cannot compare it to anything but some decisions made at a certain period of time by the Soviet authorities that did not care much about people's savings," Medvedev said.
He recalled that people live in the 21st century in conditions of a global market economy and the right to property and main provisions dealing with the banking system need to be observed.
A delegation of Cypriot ministers is visiting Russia, he said. "Deputy Prime Minister [Igor] Shuvalov met them at my order. They are continuing to discuss the issue right now," Medvedev said.
"I hope that in the end a very balanced decision that will both help Cyprus and will not spoil our relations with the EU will be made," he said.
Particular attention will be paid to the Cyprus issue at the upcoming meeting between the Russian government and members of the European Commission due in Moscow on Friday, he said.
