By RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Thursday dismissed US presidential candidate John McCain’s pledge to seek Russia’s explusion from the G8 if he is elected.
“As far as I know, recently no one has been saying this. It is perfectly clear that any calls to expel Russia or to pressure Russia are simply not serious,” Medvedev said in an interview with G8 media.
Russia joined the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in 1997, which came to be called the G8. Medvedev will represent Russia for the first time at the forum’s summit slated July 7-9 in Hokkiado, Japan.
In October last year, Republican presidential hopeful McCain said the G8 should become “a club of leading market democracies: It should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia.”
He cited that “diminishing political freedoms, a leadership dominated by a clique of former intelligence officers, (and) efforts to bully democratic neighbors” in Russia are the reasons for which he want the country should be ousted from the grouping.
Medvedev said the G8 exists “not because anyone likes or dislikes it, but because it has objectively the largest economies and the most important players in terms of foreign policy”.
Attempts to restrict the group would damage the world order, he said in response to a reporter’s question on McCain’s comments.