Putin noted Govorukhin's potential as President of Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin, while congratulating Stanislav Govorukhin on his 80th birthday in 2016, called him worthy of the position of leader of the Russian Federation. Footage of the president's speech on March 29 was posted on his Telegram channel by Pavel Zarubin, a journalist from the Vesti news agency.

"After I got to know Stanislav Sergeyevich better, I can say, I'm being completely serious, that if the citizens of Russia had then (at the elections in 2000. — Ed.) made a choice in his favor, our country would be in safe hands," Putin said.

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