MOSCOW, January 16 (RIA Novosti)-Vladimir Putin has called for a dialogue on an equal footing between Russia and the West.
Following a Monday meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Russian leader, who has been accused of backsliding on democracy in the past, said some Western countries had their own problems with democratic values, which Mrs. Merkel herself had mentioned in an interview with the popular magazine, Spiegel.
According to Putin, ordinary Russians themselves are the most ardent adherents of democracy.
He said Russia was interested in a friendly discussion of democratic issues and was ready to hear the recommendations and advice of its partners. "If we see that what our partners are offering is suitable for us, that it corresponds to our interests, then we can use it," the president said.
