Russia won’t isolate itself, but rather will expand relations with friendly countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the Council of Legislators on Friday.

“We are not going to isolate ourselves. On the contrary, we will expand pragmatic, equitable, mutually beneficial relations that are nothing less than partnerships with friendly countries in Eurasia, Africa, Latin America,” he said.

“In the United States, by the way, we have a lot of people that think along the same lines as we do. Same with Europe. The elites behave differently. But we know that the elites in these countries are far from always conducting the policies that benefit the interest of their own people. It will backfire on them,” Putin went on to say.

He said Russia is ready to work with the foreign partners, global companies and corporations that “value their business reputation and want to cooperate with Russia.”

He expressed hope that the multiple meetings that the lawmakers in attendance will hold with their foreign counterparts will serve to strengthen ties and mutual trust between countries.

Source: Agencies