Putin says to improve infrastructure, healthcare, income

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that he would focus on improving infrastructure, healthcare, education, advanced technologies, labor productivity and incomes of citizens if he wins the Russian presidential election next year.

"The most important issues on which the authorities and the entire society need to focus their attention on are the development of infrastructure, healthcare, education, high technology, as well as efforts to boost workforce productivity... All of these efforts should be aimed at raising citizens' income," Putin said at his annual press conference.

He added that the authorities will have to focus on the above-mentioned aspects if he wins the election.

According to Putin, his election program was practically ready, but he refused to reveal any detail because "the press conference was not the right place to present it."

Putin said he intended to run for presidency as a self-nominated candidate.

As an independent candidate, he would have to collect at least 300,000 voters' signatures in his support, while a candidate from a political party would have to collect 100,000 signatures in his support.

Last Wednesday, Putin announced that he would seek a new term in the upcoming presidential election, which he is largely expected to win by a landslide.

The latest public opinion poll of government-owned research center VTSIOM has shown that Russia's public approval rating of President Vladimir Putin stood at 53.5 percent as of Dec. 10, up from 53.0 percent a week before.

The Russian Federation Council, upper house of parliament, is expected to announce officially on Friday the date of the 2018 presidential election in Russia, previously set at March 18.