"I just said that the financial stability and the independence of a country are absolutely intertwined. Please, proceed from these key basic considerations," Putin said, addressing the Russian Parliament, the Federal Assembly.
He noted the difficult, but not critical, economic situation in Russia, pointing to "positive trends" in key indicators.
The Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said last week Russia’s economic outlook showed signs of improvement, projecting a 0.6-percent contraction next year compared with 3.8 percent this year.
IMF mission chief for Russia, Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, noted that Russian inflation was expected to decline to 12.7 percent in late 2015.
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Monday Russia’s national currency, the ruble, should not experience the same exchange rate fluctuations observed in 2014 this and next year.
This summer, the Russian Central Bank forecast a 3.2-percent economic decline this year, followed by growth of 0.7 percent in 2016 and up to 2.4 percent over the next two years.
