Excerpts from an Interview with Dmitri Medvedev

The New York Times has compiled a selection of excerpts from an interview held by Dmitri Medvedev, Vladimir Putin’s personally approved successor, with a group of foreign journalists last month. He spoke on state-owned corporations, Kremlin factions, corruption, and the “National Leader” role that some propose for Putin after his presidential term is over. Speaking about the advance of a two-party system in Russia, Medvedev said: “I wish we would not thoughtlessly introduce even the most advanced models of political administration, such as a two-party system, for instance, which exists quite well in the United States. Though we clearly understand that there is practically no difference between these two parties. These are just huge election machines, powerful, well made, with good traditions. We are still far away from it.”