Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in Wednesday as Russia's new president to replace Vladimir Putin, who is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term after eight years in office.
Medvedev, the former first deputy prime minister, won by landslide in the country's presidential election on March 2 and become the third as well as the youngest ever president of the country since the independence of Russia in 1991.
A long time friend and a close ally of Putin, the soft-spoken lawyer was favored by incumbent President Putin. During his presidential campaign, Medvedev vowed to continue the policies set by Putin and further Russia's economic growth and prosperity.
Putin has said that he is willing to assume premiership if Medvedev becomes president.
Putin, 55, and Medvedev, 42, graduated from the same law school of St. Petersburg Leningrad State University and have been known to each other for 17 years.
The men were brought together in the city hall from the outspoken Democrat Anatoly Sobchak, who became mayor of St. Petersburg. During the time, Medvedev served as a legal consultant to the city's committee for external affairs headed by Putin.
Putin brought Medvedev to Moscow in 1999, shortly after the then President Boris Yeltsin resigned and handed over to him the presidency. Medvedev joined Putin's staff and led Putin's election campaign in 2000.
From 2001 to 2003, besides his day-to-day responsibilities in the Kremlin staff supporting the president's duties, Medvedev was also assigned to special projects.
These included heading the commission which oversaw the drafting and enactment of framework legislation on the reform of the civil service and exploring ways to best overhaul the judicial system.
Medvedev also helped Putin end the popular election of governors and pass other laws strengthening the Kremlin's grips on politics.
Almost upon his arrival at the Kremlin, Medvedev took an active role at Gazprom, the natural-gas giant. As its chairman, Medvedev helped Putin restore Kremlin's control over the company.
Before 2005, Medvedev had been a behind-the-scenes player and his role changed when Putin appointed him as first deputy prime minister, a specially created post, to oversee five national projects.
The appointment made Medvedev the favorite to succeed Putin and the billions-of-dollars national projects, which cover health care, education, housing and agriculture, launch him into media spotlight.
On Dec. 10, 2007, Putin publicly voiced his support for Medvedev to compete in the presidential race at a Kremlin news conference. The following day, Medvedev said, if elected, he wouldask Putin to serve as his prime minister.
Medvedev was one of several St. Petersburg colleagues Putin summoned to Moscow when he ascended to power in the Kremlin.
Inside the Kremlin, Medvedev aligned himself with a group often described as the St. Petersburg lawyers or technocrats. He has brought several of his university colleagues to Moscow or placed them in prominent positions at state-controlled companies like Gazprom.
They are said to have a more liberal view on the state's role in the economy, foreign policy and civil liberties than the Siloviki, the group of former security service officials.
However, people who know Medvedev personally said he has many leadership traits, including a knack for learning quickly, the integrity to stand by what he believes, and the aptitude to work as a team player.
Medvedev's colleagues in government describe him as loyal, competent and pragmatic.
The only child of a professor and a teacher, Medvedev is a fan of hard rock from his early age. He lists Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin as his favorite bands.
On his celebration of wining the election, Medvedv wore blue jeans and a black leather jacket on the arena.
Medvedev is married and has a son named Ilya. His wife, Svetlana Medvedeva, was both his childhood friend and school sweetheart.
Source:Xinhua
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