Medvedev and Massimov discuss economic situation in Russia and Kazakhstan

A meeting of the Russian and Kazakh Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev and Karim Massimov took place today in Sochi. In a conversation with his Kazakh counterpart the Russian Prime Minister noted that today the economies of the two countries are in a difficult situation, therefore they need verified decisions to overcome the existing problems and to mitigate crises.

"Today there is a good opportunity to exchange information on current affairs in the economy and on international issues in an informal atmosphere. Right now, indeed, there is a difficult period in the life of our countries, associated with the current economic situation, the low prices of hydrocarbons and some structural distortions," he explained.

At the same time, Dmitry Medvedev expressed the view that these processes should be followed very closely, taking into account the fact that the economies of the two countries are linked very closely. "We need to take a verified decision that will help to overcome the problems, weaken the impact of crises, mitigate those negative economic processes that currently exist," the head of the Russian government stressed, adding that this concerns decisions that are made by the two governments.

According to Medvedev, this is the task of the governments "so that people in our country live better, even in this difficult period, and to address the challenges facing our countries. I hope that our meeting will contribute to this," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.