Govt. can support traditional religions without foreign help

VERKHNYAYA IVOLGA VILLAGE, Buryatia, August 24 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has expressed confidence that despite the financial crisis the authorities would support Russia’s traditional religions without foreign assistance.

At the meeting with leaders of Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia the president admitted that the country is living through hard times as both the global and domestic economies face recession.

“Nevertheless, we have a strong, powerful and economically diversified country. First, we will survive all these problems. Second, we have our own resources to help different traditional confessions that exist in Russia for centuries, including Buddhism, to develop. Therefore we have no need to get foreign assistance, we can cope with all problems on our own,” Medvedev said.