Vladimir Putin has made a wise choice by endorsing Dmitri Medvedev as his successor to become President of Russia in elections be held in early March next year.

Young and loyal, Mr Medvedev, 42, is a safe and solid politician who has shown himself capable of running Russia’s most precious asset, Gazprom, the state owned energy giant.

He is also on the liberal fringe of Russian politics and more of a technocrat than a conviction politician.

Of importance to Mr Putin, a Medvedev presidency would allow his present boss to continue to play a strong role in Russia’s leadership, either as Prime Minister or at the head of the United Russia party, the country’s dominant political force.

Should Mr Putin choose to return to the Kremlin at the next elections, Mr Medvedev could be trusted to stand aside.

The other possible candidate for president, Sergei Ivanov, the former defence minister and now first deputy prime minister, is far more outspoken and has forged his own relations with Russia’s power structures. He might be less easy to manipulate once he has tasted real power as president in the Kremlin.

For the West, Mr Medvedev would be by far the most attractive option when Russians go to the polls on March 2. He could bring a dose of pragmatism to foreign policy and he would be relied on to run the economy competently.

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