Washington should take first step to improve Russia-US relations — Medvedev

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev noted that the United States should take first step to improve Russian-US relations.
“To overcome current problems it is necessary to lift sanctions, shift relations in working field, come back to normal, calm and productive talks, then everything will stabilize,” Medvedev told reporters at the East Asia Summit.
He could not say when this may happen. “This does not depend on us, because we did not impose sanctions,” he added, noting that “sanctions are a double-edged instrument, sanctions lead to nowhere, neither ending with any serious problems, moreover, nor with restructuring of international relations.”
Meanwhile, Medvedev admitted that sanctions “give inconveniencies to those on whom these sanctions were imposed and to those who introduces sanctions, this is absolutely definite.”
On anti-Russian sanctions and response measures
Russian Prime Minister said anti-Russian sanctions over Ukraine were putting pressure on the whole economic system, while their effects could not always be foreseen.
“Artificial barriers in the form of economic sanctions and restrictions in access to international credit resources that Russia has faced, can put additional pressure on the whole financial-economic system, while the aftermath and side-effects that may emerge cannot always be worked out in advance,” Medvedev said at the East Asia Summit.

Russian Prime Minister told reporters on Thursday that Russia’s response measures to the Western sanctions will be cancelled sooner or later, but this may happen either earlier or later of the planned one-year period.
“It’s not sanctions, but response measures on our part. They are in effect for one year under the presidential decree, but the government may initiate their early cancelling and they can also be extended,” Medvedev said. He said he was certain that Russia’s response measures will be cancelled sooner or later.
The prime minister declined to forecast when the sanctions of the West against Russia may be lifted. He only said that “the sooner they end the better.
On East Asia Summit and G20
The situation on the global market remains fragile, Dmitry Medvedev pointed out.
The prime minister said he believes the G20 could take account of the economic experience of the Asia-Pacific region. “In a few days, the G20 will meet in Australia to continue discussing ways to update management of the global economy, including the role of national economic strategies,” he said.

“Taking into account a leading position of the Asia-Pacific region in restoration of global growth and success in carrying out economic reforms, the region’s experience would quite be regarded in worked out decisions,” he said.
The prime minister said the East Asia Summit “has asserted itself as a unique platform for a summit level dialogue on region’s development as it is here that approaches are consolidated towards building a new system of interstate influence in the Asia-Pacific region”.