President of Russia to address Federal Assembly with annual message

On Friday president of Russia Vladimir Putin will address the Federal Assembly with an annual message.

In keeping with Article 84 of the Constitution, the president of Russia annually addresses the Federal Assembly with a message on the situation in the country and on the guidelines of the home and foreign policy.

In line with the tradition, the ceremony will begin in the Marble Hall of the Kremlin at noon. At first the anthem of Russia will resound and then the chairman of the Federation Council (the upper chamber of parliament) will announce the forthcoming speech of the president.

It will be already the fourth message of Vladimir Putin. A propos, a small jubilee of the message is marked this year - the head of state will for the tenth time read out the document formulating the way of the state's development in the following year.

Such speeches were initiated by former president of Russia Boris Yeltsin. The first message was read out on February 24, 1994 and was entitled On Strengthening the Russian State /the Guidelines of the Home and Foreign Policy/.

Alongside the deputies of both chambers of parliament, also the Prime Minister, the members of the government, the Prosecutor-General, the chairmen of the Audit Chamber and of the Central Election Commission, the heads and judges of the highest courts of Russia, the members of the State Council, and the heads of the main confessions are expected to assemble in the Kremlin by noon.