Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says that he may as well run for president again. He noted that he has been an active politician since leaving the president’s office in May. Medvedev disagrees with democratic regress in the country, RIA Novosti reports.
Commenting on a bill introducing harsher rules for protest meetings, NGOs and a single registry of websites, Medvedev said that no big changes have taken place in the last few months. He believes that society has made progress since his election in 2008. He added that he does not agree with all the points announced at the protests on Bolotnaya Square and Sakharov Avenue.
The prime minister wants to focus on combating red tape. He notes that it was an unpopular topic about 5-7 years ago. The country needs better anti-corruption institutions.
Medvedev emphasized that the plan of Kofi Annan has more potential and that consultations must continue. The situation in Syria is very complicated, but the plan may still help. The positions of Russia, the UK and the USA are not that different, he says.
Syria is a more complicated state than Egypt or Libya, where the regimes fell after decades of power in 2011. The sides in the conflict need to start a dialogue, Medvedev says. The situation should not repeat the scenario of Libya, where the resolution of the UN Security Council was followed by foreign intervention. Medvedev noted that President Obama and British PM Cameron had assured him that no one was interested in war.
Regarding Russian-US relations, the Russian PM said that the two states had changed priorities. The last years have been fruitful for Russia and the US. Medvedev noted the START-3 treaty as a positive achievement. He added that the US had helped Russia join the WTO.
Medvedev believes that an arms race could start unless the sides find a solution to the dispute about US anti-missile defenses before 2018.
