German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes to meet with Dmitry Medvedev as soon as possible, following his victory in the Russian presidential elections, DPA quoted a government spokesman as saying Monday. "The chancellor congratulates Medvedev on his success and looks forward to continuing the comprehensive cooperation with Russia under a new president," government spokesman Thomas Steg said. "The result of the election documents the wish of the Russian people for continuity and stability," Steg said. The spokesman said Merkel hoped to meet as soon as possible with Medvedev and outgoing President Vladimir Putin, who hands over the presidency to his successor in May. Steg said both sides were trying to find a suitable date for the meeting, but was unable to confirm the chancellor would fly to Moscow on Saturday. Russian sources had previously mentioned March 8 as the probable date for such a meeting. With more than 95 per cent of the vote counted in Sunday's poll, Kremlin favourite Medvedev had secured 70.1 per cent of the vote, more than 50 per cent more than his nearest rival, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov.
