Belarus crisis does not contribute to stability in Russian economy, Kremlin says

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday the political crisis in Belarus did not contribute to economic stability in Russia but said Moscow had sufficient safety buffers to mitigate risks.

"We of course have safety buffers in our economy, which allow us to keep all economic processes stable and hedge risks," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

"But of course what is happening in Belarus clearly does not contribute to economic development and stability, it's rather the opposite."

Belarus, a close Russian ally, has been rocked by mass protests and strikes since a contested presidential election this month that demonstrators say was rigged.

(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Elena Fabrichnaya; Editing by Katya Golubkova)