The United States and the European Union have backed the idea of setting up an international emergency response system, Russian Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said Friday.
Foreign countries have sent more than 550 foreign firefighters and 100 units of machinery, including six planes and seven helicopters, to help Russia extinguish wildfires raging across the country due to abnormal heat and drought.
Shoigu previously put forward the idea of an international crisis response center.
"The United States and the EU have now come to the same conclusion. I think we will come to this, and such capabilities will have to be established," he said.
Shoigu said the world community helps countries in difficult situations even now, and added that Russia did not turn to anyone for help but that the United States and EU and CIS countries offered assistance on their own.
"And we accepted it with gratitude," he said.
A scorching heat wave has gripped much of European Russia since mid-June, which coupled with the worst drought since the 1970s has made the countryside particularly susceptible to wildfires.
Thousands of emergency workers, military personnel and volunteers have been working round the clock for almost three weeks to fight fires in 22 Russian regions, which have so far killed more than 50 people and left over 3,500 homeless. The immediate economic cost of the fires has been estimated at $15 billion.
The emergencies minister also said the wildfires do not threaten potentially hazardous facilities in the country.
"Potentially hazardous facilities are substantially protected from fires and more serious dangers. There is no threat to such facilities," he said.
Shoigu also put to shame companies selling air conditioners, mineral water and gauze masks, used to protect the lungs from acrid smog from wildfires, at inflated prices.
"I would advise media to publish a list of companies who overprice. The most effective way to fight such behavior is publicity," he told journalists.
MOSCOW, August 13 (RIA Novosti)
