MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin reportedly had a meeting with a group of Russian reporters on Jan. 20, but the details of the meeting’s agenda and its participants have remained a closely guarded secret. Some journalists have only confirmed the fact that such a meeting took place on condition of anonymity, but were mute on its details, while the Presidential Press Service has even refused to acknowledge the issue.

The Ekho Moskvy radio station reported that prominent hosts of major information and analytical programs in the country — the First Channel, Rossiya and NTV, but declined to disclose their identities, citing an agreement reached between the station and channels.

According to Ekho Moskvy, these hosts said the meeting was closed and that even the traditional protocol photographs were not taken at the beginning of the meeting

The closed nature of the meeting has generated a lot of speculation in the media. According to some sources, the meeting was dedicated to the forthcoming election campaign and its presentation in the mass media, while others claim the meeting focused on the general political situation in the country.