Moscow [Russia], May 8: Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a new term yesterday, sending a message to the Russian people as well as the West.
President Putin 's inauguration ceremony took place at the Kremlin in Moscow at noon on May 7 (local time). The term lasts 6 years and this is the 5th time Mr. Putin has won the presidential election to hold the position of head of state of Russia since the first time in 2000. Government officials, parliament, leaders Directors of the Russian Constitutional Court and all foreign diplomatic missions in Moscow were invited to attend the ceremony. Seven EU member states had envoys attend the ceremony, while the US, UK, Canada and the remaining 20 EU countries did not send representatives to attend.
"Russia does not refuse dialogue with the West"
In his inauguration speech, President Putin assured that the interests and security of the Russian people will always come first for him. Sputnik quoted him as pledging to do everything in his power to deserve the trust of voters, but at the same time emphasizing that the results of his next 6-year term depend on national unity. The Russian President is committed to implementing long-term development projects aimed at protecting the people. He said: "We are a united and great people, together we will overcome all obstacles, we will carry out everything we have planned. Together we will win" .
Regarding foreign relations, the leader said Russia is always open to the prospect of deepening friendly relations with all countries that consider Russia a reliable and honest partner. He emphasized that Russia does not refuse dialogue with Western countries and that "the choice lies with them". "They will decide whether to continue trying to contain Russia's development, continue the policy of aggression and relentless pressure that they have pursued for many years, or seek a path of cooperation and peace," he said. .
Immediately after President Putin took office, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and the cabinet resigned according to regulations. TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Mr. Putin will soon submit a proposal to the State Duma (Russia's lower house of parliament) on government personnel. Observers say Mr. Putin may reappoint Mr. Mishustin as prime minister.
Stable and challenging
Before the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Sergei Chemezov, General Director of high-tech company Rostec (Russia), told Reuters: "For Russia, this is a continuation of our path, this is stability... General President Putin has been re-elected and will continue on this path, even though the West may not like it. But they will understand that Mr. Putin is stability for Russia, not some newcomer with new policies , either cooperation or confrontation".
Similarly, Politico quoted some experts as saying that Mr. Putin would not want to deviate from the current path. "Putin's paramount goal is to produce more weapons, keep the economy stable, protect it from sanctions and control inflation," said researcher Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the political analysis company R.Politik (France), comments.
Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast that the Russian economy in 2024 will grow faster than developed countries, including the US. IMF experts say Russia's growth will be mainly due to high wartime investment and strong private consumption. However, AFP yesterday quoted analysts as saying that with the war in Ukraine entering its third year without a clear solution and the Russian economy showing a hot growth trend, Mr. Putin will face challenges. Significant challenges in the new term. Inflation in Russia has increased sharply in the past few months, due to the continuous impact of sanctions from the West, according to Euronews .
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper