Society's claim for high standards of democracy indicates success of past decade's policies
MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has welcomed Russian society's claim for high standards of democracy and life quality.
In his article published on his website, Putin said that "the most authoritative experts and many international leaders predicted [in the late 1990s] that Russia faces a choice between bankruptcy and disintegration."
"The current situation in Russia, if we look at it through the prism of the 1990s, would be just super-optimistic to them," Putin said.
"However, society's 'forgetfulness' and today's claim for the highest standards of life quality and democracy are the best indication of our success," Putin said.
"The period of restoration is over. The post-Soviet stage in Russia's development and in the development of the entire world is over," Putin said.
"All prerequisites for progress have been created, on a new foundation and in a new quality, and that was done under tough foreign policy and foreign economic conditions, which are far from being comfortable. At the same time, irreversible global transformation is a colossal chance to us," Putin said.
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