Russia:DMITRY MEDVEDEV became Russia's new president and the country's third post-Soviet leader yesterday during a glittering ceremony at the Kremlin which - formally at least - brought down the curtain on Vladimir Putin's eight tumultuous years in power.
Standing next to Mr Putin, Mr Medvedev swore an oath on Russia's constitution. He then delivered an upbeat speech promising to improve the lives of ordinary Russians, fight corruption and end the country's "legal nihilism".
"I believe my most important aims will be to protect civil and economic freedoms," he told guests at the inauguration. He added: "We must fight for a true respect of the law and overcome legal nihilism, which seriously hampers modern development."
Mr Medvedev's first act as president was to nominate Mr Putin as the country's new prime minister. Russia's state Duma is expected to confirm Mr Putin in the job later today. Mr Medvedev paid warm tribute to his predecessor. "I would like to thank Vladimir Putin for his personal support, which I have felt constantly," he said.
Yesterday's carefully choreographed ceremony leaves little doubt that Mr Putin and Mr Medvedev are likely to run Russia in tandem, with Mr Putin wielding considerable influence from his new prime ministerial office in Russia's White House.
Aged just 42, and the youngest Russian leader for well over a century, Mr Medvedev now faces a formidable series of problems at home and abroad.
Early challenges include tackling Russia's rampant inflation - currently running at at least 12 per cent. He must also manage growing popular dissatisfaction at rapidly rising food and utility prices.
President Medvedev also has several foreign policy problems in his in-tray. He has to decide what to do about the breakaway region of Abkhazia, where Russia is embroiled in a military standoff with Georgia, and he must negotiate a new co-operation and partnership agreement with the EU.
Mr Medvedev's first foreign trip will be to China and Kazakhstan. But one of his early tasks will be to try to establish good relations with the next president of the United States. He also has to consider Gordon Brown's recent offer of warmer relations with London.
Yesterday experts said that President Medvedev's biggest challenge would arguably be to prevent the Kremlin's powerful siloviki - military/intelligence clan - from moving against him. Unlike Mr Putin, he was never in the KGB, whose ex-members dominate top echelons of government.
Speaking at a banned opposition rally on Tuesday pensioner Elizabeth Maximonva said: "Putin and Medvedev are like marionettes in the hands of the siloviki. It doesn't matter which one of them is in charge. If the siloviki don't like what they are doing they'll chuck them out." - (Guardian service)