Russia: Putin okays Smolensk governor's election bid

Vladimir Putin, Russian President (in Russian): "All right. Indeed, you have real results, so I agree." Alexei Ostrovsky: "Thank you very much." Russian President Vladimir Putin terminated the mandate of the governor of Smolensk region Alexei Ostrovsky, by signing an executive order, during their meeting in Sochi, Monday. Ostrovsky asked Putin to allow him to end his term early, thereby facilitating him to stand again in September's elections. During the meeting at the president's official summer residence on the Black Sea in Sochi, Putin and Ostrovsky also discussed the policy developments in the Smolensk region. The governor reported to the president that there are 20 major investment projects currently underway in the region, worth more than €700 million ($794 million).