Zee Beam News

RBC, 16.06.2005, Moscow 14:46:49.Finance minister Alexey Kudrin considers Russia's dependence on high oil prices to be similar to "drug addiction." The finance minister voiced this opinion at today's Cabinet meeting. Kudrin noted that the inflow of foreign currency into Russia was not related to growth in the country's export potential but was due to high oil prices. Russia's dependence on high oil prices "should be viewed as drug addiction," Kudrin said. He added that in other countries such situation was called "Dutch disease." The minister believes that this is just a "more sophisticated term for drug addiction." Furthermore, "We all know the consequences of overdose," Kudrin emphasized. At the same time Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov has noted that healthy way of life was the best way to fight drugs. "Our economy should be less dependent on these factors and should develop more actively," Fradkov pointed out.