Russian innovations must not rely on imported components - Medvedev

MOSCOW. June 28 (Interfax) - Russia will have to take very prompt steps to develop its own production almost in all economic sectors that will not depend on imports and to switch to cooperation with reliable foreign partners, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.

"The priorities of Russia's policy today include manufacturing domestic products and components which will allow us to go without imported spare parts, software and services, and will prevent situations where our innovations are based on foreign, imported components," Medvedev said in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper.

It is a difficult strategic objective, he said.

"Within a very brief period, we will have to develop our own production that will not depend on deliveries from abroad in almost all sectors, especially in high technology, science-driven industries, where we were seen as dangerous rivals even earlier, and, consequently, attempts were always made to move us out of the way," Medvedev said.

In addition, it is necessary to train Russian specialists, whose qualifications will not be inferior to the qualifications of Western companies' specialists, who have left Russia, he said.

"I'd say it in brackets that many of them did all they could to delay their departure, but eventually yielded to pressure from their governments," Medvedev said.

Russia needs to switch to new reliable partners, he said.

"We have them in countries and on continents where America is not the absolute authority, 'master' or manager. It has already been acknowledged in the West that the attempts to separate Russia from the rest of the world have failed," Medvedev said.