Russian President Vladimir Putin has finished hosting his annual question-and-answer show with the nation.
Key Points:
On The Economy:
-- Putin admitted that Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP), incomes, and investment were falling while inflation stands at as high as 12.3 percent since the start of the year.
-- He said that Russia's economic activity is showing “signs of stabilization.”
-- Putin said the Russian government predicts growth next year of 0.7 percent, rising to 1.9 percent in 2017 and 2.4 percent in 2018, based on an oil price of $50 a barrel -- more than $10 higher than its current level.
On Syria:
-- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will never agree to any outside force deciding on whether Bashar al-Assad should remain Syrian president, and added that the crisis in Syria can only be resolved politically.
-- Putin said that Moscow generally supported the U.S. initiative to prepare a resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council.
On Turkey:
-- Putin said Turkey's shooting down of a Russian warplane last month was "a hostile action" and said "it is practically impossible" to make any deals with the current Turkish government. He also accused Turkey of sheltering Islamic militants.
On Georgia:
-- Putin says Moscow is ready to restore relations with the former Soviet republic of Georgia, seven years after a brief war sent relations to an all-time low.
*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Moscow (GMT/UTC +3)
Journalists begin to make conclusions about Putin's 2015 press conference:
The press conference has ended. Putin answered questions for 3 hours and 7 minutes.
