RUSSIA:Russian president Vladimir Putin said yesterday he intended to become a powerful and long-serving prime minister after leaving the Kremlin but rejected suggestions he would dictate orders to his likely successor.
Mr Putin, giving his last annual news conference before his second term ends in May, said he fully trusted his candidate for president, first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, and would have no problems working with him.
Mr Medvedev enjoys blanket coverage on state-controlled media and is widely expected to win a substantial poll victory next month.
"Dmitry Anatolyevich [ Medvedev] and I have worked together for 15 years and I would never have deigned to support a candidate for president if he needed coddling and advice on how to behave," Mr Putin told hundreds of reporters at the Kremlin in a marathon event lasting a record four hours and 40 minutes.