President Putin delivers his final federal address in office
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his final State of the Nation address today, March 1, before ending his term. The speech was noted in the context of less than 3 weeks to go until the presidential election in which Mr. Putin is one of 8 candidates.
The Russian leader once again affirmed that the government's top priority is to protect the people, help them become more prosperous and realize their potential. He also stressed the need to ensure rapid economic growth in the coming years.
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| Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and senior officials in the audience. Photo: Reuters |
President Putin's State of the Nation address begins at 12:00 noon local time on March 1 (4:00 p.m. Vietnam time) and usually lasts about an hour. This is Mr. Putin's 14th State of the Nation address and his last before the end of his third presidential term.
The reason this Federal Address is considered special is because normally the Russian President will read the Federal Address in December before the parliament and this message will be considered a guideline for Russian policymakers.
This year, for the first time in a decade, the State of the Union address was postponed until March 1, just before the presidential election. In addition, the agenda was announced by Mr. Putin’s campaign strategy director, rather than Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Mr. Putin's Federal Address this time is also considered an opportunity for him to declare his election platform without participating in any live debate on television.
Regarding the content of the Federal Message, observers believe that President Putin will mention many important issues of the country such as promoting economic growth, increasing people's income, social reform as well as foreign policies focusing on hot spots such as the Middle East, the Korean peninsula and the Russia-US relationship.
