By Daryl Loo
CANNES, France, March 10 (Reuters) - A top Russian government minister on Tuesday dismissed speculation there were strains in the relationship between President Dmitry Medvedev and his mentor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
"I know for certain ... there are no issues whatsoever despite some ideas that suggest otherwise," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the MIPIM property trade fair in Cannes.
"Each one of them perform their task as defined by the constitution, and there are no disagreements or differences between the persons who head these two institutions of power," said Kozak, speaking through a translator.
Kozak is a trusted troubleshooter for Medvedev, who promoted him last October to ensure the success of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He has also been a close Putin ally, formerly serving as Kremlin envoy in the turbulent North Caucasus.
Factional squabbling in Moscow over the handling of the financial crisis has raised speculation of potential strains between Putin and Medvedev.
Asked how Russia was managing through the global economic crisis, Kozak said the economy was being cushioned by its large currency reserves.
"Thanks to the safety cushion of reserves accumulated in the past, the government feels quite confident and assured about the performance going forward," said Kozak.
According to state forecasts, Russia's gross domestic product is due to shrink by 2.2 percent this year. (editing by Myra MacDonald)