Russia's Medvedev says may run in 2012 vote: reports

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev walks through Red Square as he arrives for a meeting with members of the Valdai discussion group in Moscow September 15, 2009.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday he would not rule out standing for a second Kremlin term in the next election, local news agencies reported.

Medvedev, who took over as Kremlin chief in May 2008 after Vladimir Putin's eight year presidency, said he could not rule out standing again in 2012, though he admitted that Putin still had the highest popularity rating in the country.

"A while ago I did not even intend to stand for president but fate decreed otherwise, and this is why I do not make plans too early and do not exclude anything," Medvedev was quoted as saying by local news agencies when asked whether he planned to run in the 2012 presidential election.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday gave his strongest indication yet that he may run again for the presidency at the next election.

Putin picked Medvedev as his chosen successor and backed him in 2008 presidential election. Putin became Medvedev's prime minister and their much vaunted leadership in tandem has been under scrutiny ever since.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Dmitry Solovyov)