Political stability, economic growth, children's welfare, weather abnormality and the new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) with the United States have been the five top events for Russia in 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday in a TV interview.

Medvedev said that the political system in Russia would not be changed in the foreseeable future because the system helped Russia maintain the unity of the country.

"Not all democratic methods work well," he said, "In my opinion, our system is absolutely justified stabilizing the present-day situation in Russia," Medvedev said, stressing that the president, the government and local authorities must act within a single vertical system.

He said a governor should stay on the post no more than three tenures during which the regional head must "prove credibility" and "not waste time for personal political promotion."

In this regard, Medvedev cited the political plight of Moscow's former mayor Yury Luzhkov he sacked for "loosing president's trust" for example.

The Russian president admitted that there have been politicians besides himself and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who could take over the country's leadership. He named the leaders of parliamentary, political parties and so-called "non-system" opposition parties.

Medvedev said he also paid great attention to children's welfare. "A nation has no future without a right attitude to children," he said.

But he criticized Russia's TV stations for poor selection of news, saying that there is a "huge gap" between the news being broadcast and the real life.

Medvedev admitted the corruption in the country, describing it as "rampant". "Two-thirds of those convicted in 2010 for giving and taking bribes were law enforcement officials," he said.

But he expressed his confidence in the country's economic situation. "We are getting out of the global economic crisis. We are growing and developing now even though there are some difficulties and shortcomings," he said.

He added that Russia's economic growth in 2010 would reach 4 percent with "elements of modernization" in spite of natural anomalies Russia experienced in the summer.

Medvedev, also Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, said that military colleges would resume enrolling students in two years though military training would continue to be postponed due to massive cuts of the Army's officers.

Speaking on international affairs, Medvedev called the new START treaty with Washington "a cornerstone" of global security for the decades to come, saying that it was easy to work with U.S. President Barack Obama.

"Security is an important issue. It's not our internal issue, it's a global one," he said, adding that Russia and the United States would "manage to sign the most important document, START."

Regarding Obama as a leader who lived up to his promises, Medvedev said he hoped the potential threat of worsening the Moscow-Washington ties next year due to the U.S. Democrats' failure in mid-term elections would be minimized.

"There are some people in America who think that all evil things are concentrated in the Russian Federation, but there are also some American people who sympathize with the so-called 'reset' of the (Russian-U.S.) relations," he said.

Medvedev was also concerned about the Russia-Japan disputes over the Southern Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, reiterating that he had every right to visit them. He said Moscow was ready to work together with the Japanese over the Pacific islands dispute.

"We are ready to implement joint economic projects (with Japan), we are ready to heed various historic things that were on the (Southern) Kuril Islands, and we are ready to work together (with Japan) to solve them. But it does not mean we should give up the (Southern) Kuril Islands as our land," Medvedev said.

The Russian president also mentioned the Russia's relations with Poland after former Polish President Lech Kaczynski died in the April "mystical" air crash, hoping Warsaw would not politicize the tragedy.

Referring to the spy row in summer with 11 Russian agents detained in the United States, Medvedev said: "Russia will defend the 11 Russians, because they are common people. They are neither cannon fodder nor heroes to be sacrificed." He also admitted frankly that Russia had many moles abroad and was going to plant more in the future.

Source: Xinhuanet