Alexei Kudrin, who was dismissed by President Dmitry Medvedev as finance minister, will be offered a post in the new government, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
“Kudrin has never left my team. He is my long-standing comrade, a close friend,” Putin said during a televised Q&A session.
Kudrin fell out with the Kremlin and was sacked in late September.
Putin praised Kudrin for his ability to “think globally, strategically” and for being “a visionary.”
“Such people of course will be needed in both the present and the new government,” Putin said, adding that he was proud that Kudrin had worked in his government.
However, Kudrin said he disagreed with Putin’s stance on last week’s protest action over alleged election fraud and that he had yet to decide which presidential candidate to back: Putin or billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.
“I would leave this question open because I would like Putin to propose some new approaches,” he said.
As for Prokhorov, Kudrin said he would like to see his program first before making up his mind.
Putin, who served two terms as president in 2000-2008 before being replaced by Dmitry Medvedev, is widely expected to win the March elections.
