Economic and political reforms should be conducted simultaneously - Medvedev
MOSCOW. Dec 6 (Interfax) - Democracy cannot be built in a poor country while an effective economy is impossible in conditions of dictatorship, President Dmitry Medvedev believes.
In an interview with the Polish media ahead of his visit to Warsaw he said that for him democracy is closely connected with the state of the economy.
"For Russia to have modern democracy - and we are only building the foundations of a democratic system in our country, I have had to speak of that many times - we must have a modern, powerful, advanced economy relying not only on oil and gas even though they are very important components of our economic wellbeing," he said.
In Medvedev's opinion, the economy must be based on innovations and new technologies. The development of a modern economy needs that a country should have a modern political system in which fundamental rights and liberties are guaranteed.
"Hence the process of building a modern economy, an effective economy and the process of building an effective state based on the power of law are complementary processes," he said.
"Democracy is impossible in a poor state. I am absolutely convinced in that," Medvedev said."However, the development of a modern economy is also impossible in conditions of dictatorship whatever may be said on the issue," he said.
Some people say "don't touch anything, don't do anything, the economic situation must be fully changed and only after that political institutions advanced and liberties guaranteed," the president said.
"That is wrong. We cannot reform the economy without changing the political system. This may be a possible road for someone, but not for Russia. Why? Because a significant part of our people identify themselves with Europe. With values that have come to us from Europe - religious, moral and political," Medvedev said.
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