RUSSIA: VLADIMIR PUTIN INAUGURATED AS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT IN BRIEF AND SOLEMN KREMLIN CEREMONY
Record ID:
904680
RUSSIA: VLADIMIR PUTIN INAUGURATED AS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT IN BRIEF AND SOLEMN KREMLIN CEREMONY
- Title: RUSSIA: VLADIMIR PUTIN INAUGURATED AS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT IN BRIEF AND SOLEMN KREMLIN CEREMONY
- Date: 6th May 2000
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 7, 2000) (RUSSIAN POOL - NO ACCESS RUSSIA) 1. MV PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS GIVING TRUMPET SALUTE 0.07 2. SLV PRESIDENT-ELECT VLADIMIR PUTIN WALKING THROUGH CORRIDORS 0.28 3. SLV/MV DOORS BEING OPENED/ FORMER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN WALKING INTO HALL (APPLAUSE)/ YELTSIN AT PODIUM (4 SHOTS) 0.48 4. SLV DOORS OPENED/ PUTIN ENTERING HALL/ VARIOUS OF PUTIN WALKING THROUGH HALL (APPLAUSE) (3 SHOTS) 1.21 5. CU YELTSIN APPLAUDING 1.24 6. TV/SLV PUTIN WALKING UP TO PODIUM (2 SHOTS) 1.31 7. WIDE OF HALL 1.35 8. CU KREMLIN CLOCK SHOWING JUST AFTER MIDDAY 1.38 9. SLV/CU PODIUM/ PUTIN TAKING OATH (2 SHOTS) 1.45 10. SV SOUNDBITE (Russian) VLADIMIR PUTIN SAYING: "While carrying out the duties of the President of the Russian Federation, I swear to respect and safeguard human and civic rights and liberties, to adhere to and protect the constitution of the Russian Federation (WIDE OF HALL), "to defend the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the state and faithfully to serve the people"/ PUTINS HAND ON BOOK (3 SHOTS) 2.05 11. WIDE OF HALL 2.09 12. MV PUTIN BEING CONFIRMED AS PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 2.24 13. WIDE/MV/GV HALL/ RUSSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM STARTING UP/ APPLAUSE (3 SHOTS) 2.40 14. WIDE OF HALL/ APPLAUSE/ RUSSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM CONTINUING 2.43 15. SLV RUSSIAN FLAG BEING RAISED ON TOP OF KREMLIN 2.51 16. SLV GUARDS PLAYING RUSSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM 2.55 17. MV PUTIN AND YELTSIN STANDING AT PODIUM/ RUSSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM BEING PLAYED 2.59 18. SLV RUSSIAN FLAG FULLY RAISED ON TOP OF KREMLIN (RUSSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM ENDS) 3.08 19. LV PUTIN AND YELTSIN AT PODIUM 3.16 20. SV SOUNDBITE (Russian) YELTSIN: "There is something to be proud of. Russia (YELTSIN'S WIFE NAINA IN AUDIENCE) has changed. Changed because we (YELTSIN AND PUTIN AT PODIUM) have protected her like gold" (literally: "like the cornea of our eye") 3.33 21. CA AUDIENCE 3.37 22. SLV/SV SOUNDBITE (Russian) PUTIN: (WIDE OF PODIUM) "He (Yeltsin) said, and today repeated (CLOSE-UP PUTIN) in this hall 'take care of Russia' In this in particular, I see my most important role as President of Russia. The fulfillment of this duty will be demanded of my working colleagues" (2 SHOTS) 4.04 23. SLV/LV VARIOUS OF PUTIN WALKING OUT THROUGH HALL (2 SHOTS) 4.29 24. GV GUN SALUTE FROM CANONS OUTSIDE KREMLIN 4.37 25. SLV PUTIN WALKING OUT THROUGH HALL 4.47 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
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- Keywords: Vladimir Putin, inauguration, Kremlin
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- Location: Moscow, Russia
- City: Moscow
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVAYTPG8DFQWLT0AU0IJBHO4OEZ
- Story Text:Vladimir Putin has been inaugurated as Russian
president in a brief, solemn Kremlin ceremony in which he
vowed to unite the nation, repay people's trust and take care
of the country he inherited from Boris Yeltsin in Russia's
first democratic handover of power.
In the half-hour inauguration ceremony loaded with
symbolism and packed with pomp, Putin walked alone through the
Grand Kremlin Palace to fanfares and applause, swore a short
oath of office and took a military salute on an ancient
square.
As trumpets played a fanfare, Putin walked, alone and
with his trademark swaggering gait, up a long stairway and
through red-carpeted, gilded halls lined with more than 1,000
applauding guests.Presidential troops in 19th century style
uniforms stood guard.
At the ceremony in St Andrew's Hall in the ornate Kremlin
Palace, the guests and Putin's predecessor Boris Yeltsin
looked on as Putin placed his right hand on a leather-bound
copy of the constitution and swore his oath of office.
"While carrying out the duties of the President of the
Russian Federation, I swear to respect and safeguard human and
civic rights and liberties, to adhere to and protect the
constitution of the Russian Federation, to defend the
sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the
state and faithfully to serve the people," he said.
It was in sharp contrast to Yeltsin's 1996 inauguration
when the aging leader barely made it through a 15-minute
ceremony.
Yeltsin, in his brief speech on Sunday, spoke of his pride
at handing over power peacefully for the first time in Russian
history and wished Putin all the best in his Presidential
role.His speech was punctuated by long pauses.
Putin -- a 47-year-old ex-KGB spy all but unknown until
Yeltsin made him premier last August -- looked purposeful but
uneasy during the ceremony and made clear he was only too
aware of his responsibilities.
"He (Yeltsin) said, and today repeated in this hall 'take
care of Russia'", Putin said after being sworn in."In this in
particular, I see my most important role as President of
Russia."
After the speeches, Putin retraced his steps as a 30-gun
salute boomed across the city and a choir sang a patriotic
finale from Glinka's opera "Life for the Tsar".
Senior Kremlin sources have said that Putin was likely to
move swiftly to nominate outgoing first deputy prime minister
and finance minister Mikhail Kasyanov as prime minister soon
after the inauguration ceremony.He is expected to attend a
meeting of his outgoing cabinet at 1100 GMT and a reception
later in the day.
Questions remain over how the former KGB spy intends to
fulfill his promises of rebuilding his nuclear-armed but
impoverished country.
Putin won a presidential election on March 26, but was
little known when Yeltsin named him prime minister in August
1999.His popularity soared, however, along with firm public
support for the war against rebels in Chechnya.
But critics have slammed his activities in Chechnya.They
say he has wholeheartedly backed an offensive which Moscow
says is aimed at terrorists but which has been criticised for
an excessive use of force and rights abuses.
Putin has indicated he favours keeping Russia on a
market-oriented path and has appointed an outspoken liberal,
Andrei Illarionov, as his economic adviser.
The shape of his government will show how he hopes to
sustain a recovery triggered by strong world market prices for
Russia's main exports and by a 1998 devaluation.
But some of Putin's pro-Western critics say he is a puppet
in the hands of Yeltsin's entourage and no changes should be
expected. - Copyright Notice: Reuters - Source to be Verified
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