Medvedev denies tension with Putin

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has denied reported tensions between him and President Vladimir Putin over the designation of tax crime investigative power, and said he will lead the government as long as he can.

"I love what I'm doing now, this is an interesting job. I'm doing it for as long as I can, until there is a presidential decision to that effect," Xinhua reported quoting Medvedev in an end-of-year interview with leading television channels.

Noting his job was "not very popular," the prime minister insisted that he had no contradictions with Putin, saying, "I and the president are getting along well."

Local reports earlier said relationship between the two top Russian leaders may have deteriorated as Putin backed the transformation of tax crime investigative power from the tax services to the Investigative Committee.

In 2011, Medvedev, as then president, had endorsed the procedure of opening criminal cases over tax crimes only by the initiative of tax services.

He argued against the legislative change last month. But Putin said later that "If someone does not agree with something, there is another way resign from the Cabinet."