Putin Dictates Economic Policy, Medvedev Helps, Finance Chief Kudrin Says

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin personally makes all major decisions about Russian economic policy, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said.

The former president is “the most important factor in the formation of the economic policy of our country,” Kudrin said in an interview published in Euromoney magazine.

“He personally makes all key decisions, in line with his understanding of economic policy,” Kudrin said. “Some decisions are taken that I don’t agree with.” President Dmitry Medvedev also “plays an important role,” according to Kudrin.

Kudrin told reporters in Washington over the weekend that he’ll wait until he writes his memoires to identify the Putin policy decisions that he disagreed with.

To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Abelsky in Moscow at pabelsky@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Willy Morris at wmorris@bloomberg.net.