Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held the first large press conference of his three years in office on May 18. Unlike his predecessor, Vladimir Putin, who introduced the news conference practice, Medvedev prefers interviews and meetings with media groups.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held the first large press conference of his three years in office on May 18. Unlike his predecessor, Vladimir Putin, who introduced the news conference practice, Medvedev prefers interviews and meetings with media groups.
The press conference was held due to the large number of interview requests, said the press service of the head of state.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev a few minutes before the start of the press conference at the congress hall of Moscow’s Skolkovo School of Management.
One of the first questions to the president was a question about his plans for 2012.
Dmitry Medvedev said that he intends to follow the laws of the electoral promises and that he would announce his plans about the presidential race in the near future.
"The election process is governed by certain rules, which I will follow," Medvedev said.
"Politicians should be able to make these kinds of announcements when they consider the time is right," he said. "In this situation, we will not have to wait for a long time."
"We are engaged in practical politics not in order to keep warm, but in order to succeed," said Medvedev.
"Such decisions (to participate or not in the presidential campaign) should be made at a time when the conditions are right and they can make a conclusive political impact," Medvedev said.
Some 800 journalists were accredited to the press conference, including more than 300 representatives of TV companies, 45 representatives of radio stations, 240 journalists from private media and online media, 45 photographers, some 300 journalists of foreign media, 500 Russian journalists, including 208 journalists from regional media.
