Putin lays out his strategy until 2020

[Marulus]

Putin lays out his strategy until 2020

dpa - International News Service in English

Feb 08, 2008

Moscow (dpa) - President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised Russia's growing strength on the world scene while reserving tough words for unnamed foreign aggressors in a speech laying out his vision for Russia until 2020.

Russian newspapers on Thursday dubbed the speech just four weeks before the presidential elections "Putin's Will," referring to the plan that is widely expected to be inherited by his anointed successor Dmitry Medvedev.

In the speech broadcast live on state television, Putin named Russia's victory over terrorism, its return to order after the social chaos of the 1990s, and a booming economy as the successes of his past eight years at the helm.

"There is a lot left to do, but a course has been set," Putin said adressing Russia's top politicians gathered in the gilded, largest hall of the Kremlin.
Business newspaper Kommersant reminded readers that Putin, in his final speech to Russia's upper house in April, said: "It is inappropriate for me to review my achievements here, and it is still premature for me set out my political will."

The broad ranging nature of Putin's address, suggested he had found the time and place for a recapitulation of a presidency that Medvedev has often promised to be the continuation of.

Medevedev, who has the support of over 60 per cent of voters going into the March 2 vote, has been labelled a liberal, more soft-spoken than his mentor.

But Putin on Friday called for the strengthening of Russia's military and renewed powerful rhetoric against the West that resonated popularly ahead of the Russia's December parliamentary vote.

The Kremlin leader accused the West of "imperial designs" on Russia and attempts to "interfere" in its elections.

"God was not stingy with natural resources for us ... But with all this, there is often to build dishonest competition against us and to gain illegal access to our resources," news agency Interfax quoted Putin as saying.

Putin also warned against the "illegal and immoral" efforts of unnamed foreign powers to meddle in Russia's internal politics in an attempt to disrupt the elections.

In a break from form 750 politicians and journalists simply received a telegram invitation days before the quarterly meeting of the State Council, an presidential advisory body including Russia's governors.

Analysts said Thursday that the intrigued was a ploy to hype the event that served as an ideal platform for Putin to again recommend Medvedev.

Medvedev, who both holds a cabinet post and chairs gas giant Gazprom, faces little competition in the presidential elections and is virtually guaranteed to step into Putin's place. dpa adc bve

Source: dpa - International News Service in English

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