Medvedev officially offers Putin to run for Russian PresidentSeptember 24, 2011 - 15:07 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to run for the post in next year's election. RIA Novosti reported that speaking at the annual congress of the ruling United Russia party on Saturday, September 24, Medvedev said he was ready to do "practical work in the government." Earlier, Putin told the congress that Medvedev should top the party's list of candidates in parliamentary elections on December 4. The party is led by Putin and dominates parliament. "Given the offer to head the party list and engage in party work, and given a successful run at the elections... I believe that it would be appropriate if the congress approved Vladimir Putin's candidacy for the post of the president of Russia," Medvedev said to a standing ovation at Moscow's gigantic Luzhniki sports complex. Putin was constitutionally barred from standing for a third consecutive term in 2008 and anointed Medvedev as his successor. "I have always been asked: when are you going to make up your mind?... I and Vladimir Vladimirovich have sometimes been asked: have you fallen out with each other?" "What we propose to the congress is a long thought-out decision," Medvedev said. "We were actually discussing this course of action as early as when our union was being formed." There had been intense speculation that Putin may seek a return to the Kremlin when elections are held in March next year. Both Putin, 58, and Medvedev, 46, have said they could stand for president, but ruled out running against each other. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |