Kyrgyzstan names mountain after Putin

[February 18, 2011]  BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) -- Vladimir Putin's name has been put on maps in the ex-Soviet nation of Kyrgyzstan, where lawmakers have named a mountain peak after him.

The Russian prime minister is widely considered to remain his country's most powerful politician, even though the post of president, which he held for eight years, is technically the top one in Russia's government. The move by the Kyrgyz parliament appears to reflect the impoverished nation's hope of securing Moscow subsidies. The lawmakers voted late Thursday to give Putin's name to a 4,446-meter (14,672-feet) peak in the Tian Shan mountains south of the capital, Bishkek. [Associated Press] Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.