Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, has suggested he could run for president again when current leader Dmitry Medvedev's term expires in 2012.

The former president said he and Medvedev would not compete against each other, but would decide together who should run in the next elections.

"We'll come to an agreement because we are people of the same blood and of the same political views," he said at a meeting of academics and journalists at the Valdai discussion group, outside Moscow, on Friday.

"According to the reality of the moment, we'll make an analysis and take a decision."

"Did we compete in 2008? No. So we won't compete in 2012."

Putin stepped down as president in 2008, after running for the maximum two executive terms in office.

Both Putin and Medvedev could run for the presidency in 2012, with a new six-year presidential term, which was approved by parliament earlier this year.

The prime minister, who is still widely seen as Russia's leader, reiterated his position that Medvedev was in charge.

"We have nothing to prove to anyone," he said.

"If someone lives in a dream, he needs to wake up, take a shower and look at reality. If you want to co-operate with Russia you need to know that it's the president who heads Russia."