Russian President Mr Vladimir Putin dropped a strong hint today that he would stand for re-election for a second term in office next March.
Speaking to a group of Scottish business figures and academics in Edinburgh, he said: "I can say that there will be no third term for President Putin. That I can guarantee for sure."
A third term is anyway excluded under Russia's constitution, but Mr Putin's comment appeared to confirm he had decided to run for a second four-year term in office from March 2004.