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Direct Line with Vladimir Putin to take place ahead of 2018 FIFA World Cup

There will be certain innovations, both technological and informational ones, the Kremlin spokesman noted

MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. The Direct Line with Vladimir Putin will take place ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, that will be held on June 14 - July 15 in Russia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with TV channel NTV.

"It [the Direct Line] will be held ahead of the World Cup, and we will tell about it in due time. There will be certain innovations, both technological and informational ones," he said, but did not disclose any details.

Peskov noted that the idea of the event will be the same: the president’s communication with citizens and feedback. The presidential spokesman reiterated that the Direct Line is a unique format in the world.

Peskov commented on the World Cup, saying that it "will be the best football championship that has even been organized on the Earth."

The Direct Line with Vladimir Putin is an annual question and answer session during which the president answers Russians’ questions live. This Q&A session was first held on December 24, 2001, on national TV and radio channels. It has been held annually since then, except for 2004 and 2012. In 2017, the Direct Line was held on June 15.