07/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - The new Russian President, Vladimir Putin, officially took office on Monday 7 May. At his investiture ceremony, which was attended by Gerhard Schröder and Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister swore “as President of the Russian Federation, to respect the rights and liberties of the people and the citizens”. “We wish to live and we shall live in a Russia which succeeds, which is respected in the world as a reliable, open, honest and predictable partner”, he added. Putin was elected for six years on 4 March with nearly 64% of the votes. He will appoint the outgoing President, Dmitri Medvedev, to the post of prime minister. Putin was previously President from 2000 to 2008 and then Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012, during Medvedev's presidential term. On Sunday, at least 20,000 people demonstrated against the new president on the streets of Moscow, shouting “no more lies”. (CG/transl.fl)