Moscow, June 17 (IANS): Russia's position on the possible exit of Britain from the European Union (EU) depends on whether or not it will weaken the EU, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said.

"We need a strong partner, and Europe is our key partner in the world," Xinhua news agency quoted Dvorkovich as saying on Friday.

If Brexit will weaken the EU, then Russia is "not in favour of it", he said. "Weak partners are not usually good partners, not safe partners. Therefore, Russia needs Europe to remain strong."

However, it is a choice eventually up to the British people and nobody should intervene, added the deputy prime minister.

Dvorkovich said Russia's position on Brexit has nothing to do with the sanctions imposed on the country by Western powers led by the US.

The sanctions are counter-productive for everyone. The sooner the sanctions are revoked, the better it is for both Russia and the Western economies, he said.