News Story

02 December 2008 21:28 BST

Medvedev sworn in as Russian president

A new era of Russian politics began on Wednesday when Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as Vladimir Putin's successor as president.

But his inauguration is being heralded as a false dawn by critics of Mr Putin, who is swapping the Kremlin for the prime minister's office.

Mr Putin, who anointed Mr Medvedev as his chosen successor last year, was constitutionally barred from standing in presidential elections held in March.

But his protégé emerged as the poll's clear winner after earning 70.28 per cent of the vote amid allegations of voter intimidation and media bias towards the ruling United Russia party.

Former businessman Mr Medvedev, 42, officially became Russia's head of state in a lavish ceremony at the Kremlin, with Mr Putin stepping back to assume his role as the head of the country's government.

Mr Putin's eight years at the Kremlin have seen trade and investment with Britain flourish at the same time as relations have deteriorated.

The Foreign Office admitted there were a number of unresolved issues in British-Russian relations – the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the closure of British Council officers, human rights and energy supply issues – awaiting Mr Medvedev.

But a spokesman said the UK government was hopeful Mr Medvedev's term as president could signal an improvement in relations with Britain.

"This is an opportunity to embark on a fresh start in Russian relations with the UK and its neighbours and it is up to Mr Medvedev to take advantage of this."

He explained that the British government was "not blinkered enough to expect plain sailing".

Britain and Russia have a "broad and deep relationship", he went on to say, acknowledging that it did not always amount to "a meeting of minds".

The spokesman added, however, that he could not comment on accusations that Mr Putin was positioning himself to retain power in the prime minister's office.

"That is a matter for the Russian political system to examine," he said.