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Putin's 'national idea' provoking debate — upper house speaker

Political content “was tough, but not confrontational,” Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said
Valentina Matviyenko Artem Korotaev/TASS
Valentina Matviyenko
© Artem Korotaev/TASS

MOSCOW, December 4. /TASS/. The Russian leader's parliamentary address and its concept of a "national idea" is generating much comment, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said after President Putin's address to the Federal Assembly on Thursday.

“It included a strong political element and formulated a national idea which is being extensively discussed,” she said live on Russian news TV channel Rossiya 24.

Political content “was tough, but not confrontational,” Matviyenko said. “Preserving our identity and sovereignty, we are open for cooperation with all countries having such an ideology,” she added.