Russian President Vladimir Putin held his 14th annual news conference. This year, it lasted three hours and 44 minutes. Kremlin accredited 1,700 Russian and foreign journalists to the news conference. Putin set up a tradition of annual meetings with journalists in 2001. The first news conference in 2001 was the shortest one, having lasted for one hour and 35 minutes. The longest one took place in 2008, when Putin fielded questions for four hours and 40 minutes. Starting from 2004, none of the annual news conferences lasted more than three hours. In the recent years, these news conferences were organized in December giving the president an opportunity to sum up the results of the outgoing year.
Vladimir Putin's annual news conference in pictures
This year, news conference lasted three hours and 44 minutes
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Vladimir Putin's 14th annual news conference lasted three hours and 44 minutes
© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS Russia's President Vladimir Putin gives an annual end-of-year news conference at Moscow's World Trade Centre
© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS Putin set up a tradition of annual meetings with journalists in 2001
© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS The first news conference in 2001 was the shortest one, having lasted for one hour and 35 minutes
© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS The longest one took place in 2008, when Putin fielded questions for four hours and 40 minutes
© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS Starting from 2004, none of the annual news conferences lasted more than three hours
© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS In the recent years, these news conferences were organized in December giving the president an opportunity to sum up the results of the outgoing year
© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS This year, the Kremlin said it accredited 1,700 Russian and foreign journalists to the news conference
© Sergei Bobylev/TASS Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Sergei Bobylev/TASS Russia's President Vladimir Putin is seen after his annual end-of-year news conference at Moscow's World Trade Centre
© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS