TALLINN, Estonia: President Vladimir Putin on Friday touted Russia's prospects at the country's main international economic forum despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin earlier also banned journalists from countries that Russia regards as"unfriendly" from covering the proceedings that began on Wednesday and continue through Saturday. Nonetheless, Putin said at the forum's plenary session:"We haven't turned onto the self-isolation path. Quite the opposite - we have widened contacts with reliable and responsible partners in the countries and regions that serve as the engine, the drivers of the world's economy today.Officials did not provide a list of foreign businesses attending, but the programme for the more than 100 panel discussions showed a marked majority of speakers hailing from Russia.