Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday didn't mince words in expressing disinterest in incorporating his country into the Group of Seven (G7), a political and economic forum consisting of countries that remain economically advanced, citing one of the reasons being an unusual relationship with European countries.
In an interview with Aaj Tak and India Today, Putin replied with a simple "no" when asked whether Russia was considering joining the same.
He said that he stopped attending G8 meetings, after which the group reverted to the G7.
The Russian president further criticised the Western countries that remain part of the G7 for calling themselves "Big Seven", asserting that countries like the United Kingdom, in terms of purchasing power parity, ranked lower than India.
"The second thing is that, as I have said before, it's not entirely clear why the countries that form the G7 call themselves the 'Big Seven'? What's so big about them? In terms of purchasing power parity, India's economy is the third largest in the world. And where are the countries like the United Kingdom in terms of purchasing power parity? What is their ranking now, tenth or thereabouts?" Putin said.
"These are all countries with advanced, high-tech economies; a robust foundation exists, it hasn't gone anywhere, although their share in the global economy is shrinking year after year, like a piece of Shagreen leather. This is an obvious fact; we all see it," he added.
Taking a dig at the West, Putin highlighted Germany's third year of recession and France's difficult situation, despite categorising itself as "Big Seven". -- ANI