Putin Kicks Off Annual Economy Report To Parliament

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has begun his appearance before the lower house of hte Russian parliament, the State Duma, to present an annual report on Russia’s economic performance.

The address is the last such report that Putin will deliver to the current State Duma before parliamentary elections in December and the 2012 Russian presidential election.

Putin suggested that Russia had successfully navigated a treacherous global financial period without “serious shocks and risks.”

His appearance before the Duma, which is led by Putin’s ruling United Russia party, was expected to last several hours.

Putin was expected to outline government spending plans in light of billions of dollars of revenues from sales of oil, Russia’s main export commodity.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said the prime minister was not expected to speak to the Duma about whether he plans to seek the presidency in next year’s poll.

Putin has said it is still too early to say whether he or current President Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s hand-picked successor, would again pursue the presidential office.

compiled from Reuters reports

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