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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Putin to face economy questions | Putin to face economy questions |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is set to face a series of questions about the economy when he takes part in a nationwide broadcast on Wednesday. | Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is set to face a series of questions about the economy when he takes part in a nationwide broadcast on Wednesday. |
| A Conversation with Vladimir Putin will be filmed at a studio near the Kremlin in front of a 400-strong audience. | A Conversation with Vladimir Putin will be filmed at a studio near the Kremlin in front of a 400-strong audience. |
| People from across Russia will be able to put questions to Mr Putin. | People from across Russia will be able to put questions to Mr Putin. |
| Last year, a million questions were submitted in advance, the Kremlin said. However, all were screened and none were considered overtly hostile to him. | Last year, a million questions were submitted in advance, the Kremlin said. However, all were screened and none were considered overtly hostile to him. |
| Annual tradition | Annual tradition |
| The BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says that perhaps the most significant thing about the "conversation" will not be the questions, but the person who is answering them. | The BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says that perhaps the most significant thing about the "conversation" will not be the questions, but the person who is answering them. |
| When Mr Putin was president, the broadcast became an annual tradition. | When Mr Putin was president, the broadcast became an annual tradition. |
| Mr Putin left the Kremlin in May, but it is he, not his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, who will take to the airwaves again this year, our correspondent says. | Mr Putin left the Kremlin in May, but it is he, not his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, who will take to the airwaves again this year, our correspondent says. |
| Many will see that as a sign that it is Mr Putin, and not Mr Medvedev, who wields the real power in Russia, he adds. | Many will see that as a sign that it is Mr Putin, and not Mr Medvedev, who wields the real power in Russia, he adds. |
| Mr Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the session, which starts at midday local time (0900 GMT), would "certainly last more than two hours" and focus on social issues and the financial crisis. | |
| Some of the questions have already been published on a government website. Most of them concentrate on the state of the economy. | Some of the questions have already been published on a government website. Most of them concentrate on the state of the economy. |
| One asks whether young families will get help with mortgages; another asks why petrol prices have fallen by so much less than oil prices. | One asks whether young families will get help with mortgages; another asks why petrol prices have fallen by so much less than oil prices. |
| However, our correspondent says there is no sign yet of the one question which many world leaders would presumably love to hear answered - whether Mr Putin plans to return to the presidency. | However, our correspondent says there is no sign yet of the one question which many world leaders would presumably love to hear answered - whether Mr Putin plans to return to the presidency. |