PanARMENIAN.Net

Dmitry Medvedev inaugurated as Russian president
07.05.2008 14:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as
Russia’s president on Wednesday, pledging to bolster
the country’s economic development and civil rights.

Medvedev took the oath of office in the Kremlin’s
golden-hued Andreyevsky Hall, bringing to an end
Vladimir Putin’s eight years as president.

Medvedev has pledged to continue the policies pursued
by Putin. In his inaugural address, Medvedev said his
most important tasks would be the development of civil
and economic freedom.

Medvedev’s six-minute inaugural address referred to
civil rights issues several times, a possible
indication that his presidency would take a different
course than that of the man who groomed him for the
job and used his considerable influence to ensure his
election.

`Human rights and freedoms … are deemed of the
highest value for our society and they determine the
meaning and content of all state activity,’ he said.

The 42-year-old, formerly a first deputy prime
minister and chairman of the state-controlled natural
gas giant Gazprom, also pledged to fight endemic
corruption.

`I’m going to pay special attention to the fundamental
role of the law. We must achieve a true respect in
law, overcome the legal nihilism which is hampering
modern development,’ Medvedev said.

He pledged to help make life `comfortable, confident
and secure’ for Russians and to modernize industry and
agriculture, encourage the development of new
technologies and attract investment, the AP reports.