A record 1,232 journalists, including 262 foreign reporters, have been given accreditation to attend the president's news conference, which will begin at noon Moscow time (9:00 a.m. GMT), and will be the sixth of its kind since Putin became president.
With just over a year left before Putin is scheduled to leave his post, experts predict that the Russian president is likely to draw a wide range of questions on Russia's political future, the alleged clampdown on democracy in the country, relations with the European Union and energy security.
Simultaneous interpreters will be on hand working in four languages - English, French, German, and Japanese - and Russian TV broadcasters Channel 1 and Rossia will broadcast the event live.
The annual news conference has become a traditional part of Putin's presidency. Although the event is scheduled to run for an hour and a half, it typically runs well over time to between two and three hours.
Last year, the news conference, which was held in a usual "free-style" format, lasted about three and a half hours, and Putin answered 71 questions.
Putin held his first conference in July 2001 on the eve of a G8 summit for the leaders of the world's most industrialized nations. The president then answered 22 questions in the presence of about 400 reporters.
