Moscow : Exactly a year after President Dmitry Medvedev came to power a large majority of Russians still see him as a copy of his predecessor Vladimir Putin.

According to a poll carried out by the Levada Institute, 80 per cent of Russians think Medvedev is exactly" or to a large degree" following the same path as Putin, who is now prime minister.

Around 48 per cent assume that Putin and Medvedev share the running of the country between them. Some 30 per cent of those polled see Putin as Russia's sole leader, compared to only 12 per cent who see Medvedev as the man in charge.

Large parts of the Russian press have been stressing the relationship between the two politicians on the anniversary of Medvedev taking office.

The newspaper Vremya Novostey said that despite differences in style" Medvedev and Putin had got used to each other. The head of state and the head of government form a strong double act", the paper added.

The daily Kommersant said the president still lacks a profile of his own despite holding office for a year.

Media reports said Medvedev took part in official duties including meeting veterans of the Second World War a year to the day after he was sworn in as president.

Putin was barred by the constitution from running again for the presidency when his second term in office finished last year.

Although the prime minister is constitutionally subordinate to the president, Putin set the political agenda in the financial crisis, the invasion of Georgia in August and the gas dispute with Ukraine at the start of this year.

The human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) Thursday demanded stronger support for civil society in Russia. Medvedev has only paid lip service to his announcement that he would allow non- governmental organizations more latitude in their work, AI said in a statement issued in Moscow.

AI also complained that the authorities only half-heartedly investigate attacks on the opposition and journalists. (dpa)