Putin to Deliver Annual Address to Russian Federal Assembly

Watch LIVE on our website at 12:00 Moscow time (09:00 GMT). Vladimir Putin will evaluate the current situation in Russia and its position in the world and outline the country’s future development goals. For more information follow our live update on Twitter.

MOSCOW, December 4 (Sputnik) — On Thursday, December 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver his annual address to the Russian Federal Assembly.

In his speech, Russian President will evaluate the current situation in Russia and its position in the world and outline the country’s future development goals.

The address is scheduled to begin at 12:00 Moscow time (09:00 GMT) in the Kremlin’s St. George Hall with around 1,100 Russian lawmakers and public figures attending. The audience will include members of the Federation Council, State Duma deputies, Government members and the heads of the Constitutional and Supreme Court — as well as the regional governors and heads of regional legislative assemblies. 495 journalists are accredited to attend the event.

According to the Russian constitution, the president addresses parliament each year. In 2014 the tradition celebrates its 20th anniversary. The first such address was made by Boris Yeltsin on February 24, 1994.

Last year, the annual address took place on December 12. The president announced a number of important initiatives, in particular, municipal reform and fair rules for offshore companies. He also talked about the development of Russia's Far Eastern and Siberian territories, despite the difficult economic situation.

Watch live video on our website soon, follow our live updates on Twitter