Moscow: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said it was too early to discuss the 2012 presidential elections but added he and President Dmitry Medvedev would agree on whether to stand in the polls.
"We will jointly agree, we will think about it, we'll see," Putin said on Wednesday.
"It's too early to talk about it," Putin said in his remarks televised by Rossiya 24 new channel.
"As soon as we talk about it everybody stops working, expects changes, reshuffles," he said, adding that any reshuffle of his government was "undesirable" before 2012.
Earlier at a rare public meeting, Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev showered praises at each other's performance in 2010.
Medvedev on Wednesday evening travelled to Putin's office in the Russian White House to address the cabinet.
Medvedev praised the cabinet led by Prime Minister Putin for honouring the social obligations.
"The number of unemployed dropped by two million, this is a great achievement, when we are coming out of crisis," Medvedev said.
Both the leaders noted that at time there were heated arguments and debates on resolving various issues.
"But they were not between the cabinet and Kremlin teams, but within the teams," a serious Putin sitting next to Medvedev underscored.
"I would like to underline, all our successes would have not be possible without the support of the President," he added.
In December 2011 Russia is to elect the State Duma (Lower House) at general elections, at which Putin's United Russia party faces serious challenges ahead of March 2012 presidential polls.
The outcome of Duma polls is most likely to influence the choice of the candidate for the top Kremlin job.
Today pro-Kremlin United Russia party has 315 seats in the 450-strong house and a debacle at December 2011 elections would be not in the interest of the Russian strongman Putin, who is formally its chairman and frequently uses party
conclaves to boost his image.
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