Putin delivering state-of-the-nation address

Russian President Vladimir Putin is now delivering a state-of-the-nation address to the country's legislature. This is Putin's first address of its kind after he returned to the Kremlin following a four-year interval, during which he served as prime minister. In 21st century, the new economic, civilization and military patterns require Russia to be a sovereign and influential country, he said in the opening remarks to the Federal Assembly, which consists of both houses of the parliament. "We have to not only develop ourselves sustainably but keep our national identity, not to lose ourselves as a nation," he said. The president is expected to present his vision of Russia's development and the mechanisms needed to attain the goals concerning both domestic and foreign policies.