YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding his traditional annual conference today, reports TASS.

Putin set up a tradition of annual meetings with journalists in 2001. A short break was made only when Putin was Russia’s prime minister, from May 2008 to May 2012. The practice was resumed in 2012 after Putin was elected Russian president for his new, six-year, term.

Putin’s question-and-answer sessions traditionally start at noon. As a rule, they lasts for several hours. That is why they are often referred to as a ‘big’ news conferences.

It is up to the president to decide when to stop. The first news conference in 2001 was the shortest one - one hour and 35 minutes. The longest one took place in 2008 when Putin answered questions for four hours and 40 minutes. Anyway, none was shorter than three hours from 2004.

In the recent years, such news conferences were organized in December giving the president an opportunity to sum up the results of the outgoing year. Reporters are free to ask any question they like.