(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-21 13:56

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin said he is convinced that he will retain influence in Russia after stepping down following next year's presidential elections, the Kremlin said Thursday.

"Of course, I will have a presence here. (But) I have not yet exactly decided for myself when I will occupy myself with, but no matter what it is, I understand that some sort of influence will remain. These are objective things. I not going to speculate on these things, this influence, (to exaggerate) its meaning, but it will be there," Putin was quoted as saying.

"This will also depend what I will directly be involved in - if it's just political work or something else," he said.

"But I will again repeat - I am not going to use this influence to destabilize or weaken the current authorities. My purpose consists of ensuring that Russia remains stable. And I have all reason to presume that that will be the case," he said.

The Russian leader made the comments to a group of visiting international academics during a meeting in the Black Sea port of Sochi last Friday. The Kremlin posted a transcript from the meeting on its Web site Thursday.

With just six months remaining before presidential elections, speculation has run rampant in Russia about Putin's intentions after his term second, consecutive term in office ends. Putin has repeatedly said he does not intend to try and stay on, though he has also repeatedly said he expects to retain significant influence afterward.

Putin last week dissolved the government of Mikhail Fradkov and appoint an obscure Cabinet official, Viktor Zubkov.

Putin told the visiting experts that he try and ensure that the next president was a strong and independent leader.

"Russia cannot be strong with a weak president. I am not going to ruin with my own hands what has been done in recent years," Putin said, according to the Kremlin.

"I want our president to be not just self-sufficient but also someone who is able to efficiently fulfill his duties and obligations to the nation," he was quoted as saying.