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March 2, 2008
Speeches by Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev at a Concert following Voting in the Russian Presidential Election
Vasilyevsky Spusk, Moscow
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Hello Russia, hello Moscow!
Today is a special day in our country’s history. We are choosing the road of development for the long term and we have every chance of continuing the development we have achieved over these last years. We have every opportunity to bolster stability, raise living standards and advance according to the plan that we have been carrying out over these years. I am certain that this road is indeed the right choice and that we have every chance we need to achieve our goals.
Elections took place today, elections in which you took part. I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. And I want to thank everyone who voted for other candidates, because together we represent almost two thirds of the country’s population and this means that we are not indifferent to our country’s future. This means that we can continue the course that President Putin proposed. I am sure that we have every opportunity for this. Together we will advance and together we will be victorious.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Russia’s presidential election has taken place and our candidate, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, has a confident lead.
I thank all of you, all of the citizens of Russia who came to the polling stations today. This shows that we live in a democratic country and that our civil society is becoming effective, responsible and active.
The presidential election and the parliamentary elections have taken place in strict accordance with our country’s Constitution and with the timeframe set out in the law. I congratulate Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev and wish him success.
This victory creates many obligations. It is the guarantee that the course we have chosen together, the successful course we have followed over these last eight years, will continue.
I want to thank all the candidates who took part honourably in the presidential election campaign, but I also want to say that the election is over now and I hope very much that the passions of the campaign period will remain in the past and that everyone who genuinely loves our Russia will now unite their efforts and work for the good of our great country’s people.
Thank you.