Putin undecided whether he’ll run for President in 2018March 2, 2012 - 10:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin has said he is still undecided whether to participate in the next presidential elections in 2018. “I don’t know whether I want to stay [in power] for more than twenty years. I have not yet decided,” Putin said during an interview with editors-in-chief of several leading foreign newspapers in his Novo-Ogaryovo residence near Moscow. Putin has been Russia’s president for two consecutive terms in 2000-2008. As the Russian constitution barred him from running for a third term, he appointed Dmitry Medvedev his successor and took the prime minister’s post in May 2008. If elected president in the March 4 vote, Putin will stay in office for at least six years, although many analysts believe that he would run for another term and remain in the Kremlin until 2024. “We are now talking about electing a Russian president for the next six years,” Putin said during the interview. “I have not even thought yet [about another term.]” The editors-in-chief of France’s Le Monde, Britain’s The Times, Italy’s La Repubblica, Germany’s Handelsblatt, Canada’s The Globe and Mail and Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper participated in the interview, RIA Novosti reported. 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 | Macron honors Charles Aznavour on 100th anniversary French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to the memory of French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour. Blinken says U.S. reviewing a number of aid requests from Armenia He said the U.S. is reviewing the requests to determine what more it can do to increase its assistance to Armenia. At least 2 CSTO members participated in preparing 44-day war against Armenia – PM Nikol Pashinyan has declared that at least two CSTO member countries participated in preparations for the 44-day war against Armenia. Armenia PM meets Iran’s Supreme Leader in Tehran Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei |