INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Vladimir Putin was speaking during a session of the St
Petersburg International Economic Forum (Reuters)Moscow: Vladimir Putin said on Friday he would respect the
Russian constitution which bans anyone from serving two consecutive presidential terms, meaning he will step down from his post in 2024 when
his current term expires.His remarks, made to reporters at an economic forum in St Petersburg and broadcast on state TV, are not a surprise
and do not necessarily mean he will relinquish power in six years.Putin has stepped down as president once before, in 2008, after serving
two back-to-back terms only to return in 2012 after doing a stint as prime minister, a manoeuvre he would be legally entitled to carry out
again."I have always strictly abided by and abide by the constitution of the Russian Federation," Putin said, when asked if and when he
would be leaving office."In the constitution it's clearly written that nobody can serve more than two terms in a row I intend to abide by
this rule."Putin easily won re-election in March, extending his tenure by six years to 24 - which would make him Moscow's longest-serving
leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.© Thomson Reuters 2018(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by
TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
