Russia calls for joint action on financial crisis

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called for urgent international measures to tackle the global financial crisis in a video statement published on the Kremlin.ru website on Tuesday.

Medvedev said he would join European leaders for discussions in the French town of Evian on Oct. 8 where he hopes a joint response can be formulated to global problems.

"…The crisis of the international financial system demands urgent joint action. It's absolutely obvious the time has come for new decisions," said Medvedev in the two-minute clip.

Russia's stock market has fallen dramatically in recent weeks, with the dollar-denominated RTS index down 19.1 percent on Monday.

The Russian president also repeated his demand for a new international security umbrella for Europe and said he would raise this at the Evian meeting with other leaders.

The short video, which opens showing Medvedev working at his computer, was the first time the Kremlin has issued a statement using this medium. Medvedev has often shown his fondness for the Internet and new technology.