Putin ready to be PM
2007-12-17 16:57
Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he would accept the Prime Minister's post next year if his ally Dmitry Medvedev succeeds him in a March presidential election.
"If the people give their trust to Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev and he is elected president, then I would be ready to continue my work as head of government," Putin told a congress of the ruling United Russia party in Moscow.
Putin's statement appeared to confirm a plan first unveiled last week in which first deputy prime minister Medvedev would take over the Kremlin in 2008, while Putin would retain major influence as prime minister.
Medvedev is expected to face no real opposition in the March 2 election, clearing the way for his longtime boss Putin to shift from the presidency to premiership, and retain a big role in running the world's biggest country and leading energy exporter.
- AFP