Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as Russia's president today in a lavish ceremony in the Kremlin, taking over from his mentor Vladimir Putin.
Mr Medvedev, a 42-year-old former corporate lawyer and longtime Putin ally, placed his hand on a red, leather-bound copy of the Russian constitution to take the oath of office before 2,000 invited guests.
Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev attends a meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow yesterday
Minutes earlier, Mr Putin had entered the Kremlin alone and thanked the Russian people for their trust and support, encouraging them to support Mr Medvedev and wishing him well.
In his inauguration speech, Mr Medvedev said his main priorities would be to protect civil and economic freedoms.
“I will work with all my strength as president and as a man for whom Russia is his native home and his native land,” he said.
Mr Putin named Mr Medvedev as his preferred successor last December, ensuring his victory in the March polls.
But Mr Putin will retain major political influence after quitting, both in his role as prime minister and as head of the ruling United Russia party which controls parliament.
The inauguration ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace broadly followed the pattern set in 2000, when Putin was sworn in, allowing officials to stress continuity and the smooth transition of power. Access was not granted to foreign media.
Mr Putin, who has presided over eight years of uninterrupted economic growth, has said he will focus on making Russia one of the top seven global economies by 2020. He has promised not to seek any extra powers in his new job.
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