The first question at Putin's press conference was the question of the consequences of the pandemic

President Vladimir Putin's annual press conference began with a question about the consequences of the covid-19 pandemic for the Russian economy, asked by journalist Vyacheslav Terekhov, First Deputy General DIRECTOR of Interfax. The press conference is broadcast live by RBC.

“Our economy, faced with the challenges of the CORONAVIRUS infection and the necessary forced restrictions in this regard, <...> nevertheless turned out to be more mobilized and ready for such shocks than many other developed economies in the world,” Putin replied.

He added that in RUSSIA the level of economic recession was only 3%, and in terms of the pace of recovery, the country was ahead of other states.

Putin's 17th big press conference is taking place at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall in Moscow. This place was chosen because of its size, which will allow for safe communication against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.