MOSCOW, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday was re-elected as the chairman of the country's ruling United Russia party for a next five-year term.

Boris Grizlov, chairman of the party's supreme council, announced the result of the re-election, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin served as the party's chairman prior to Medvedev.

Established in 2001, United Russia now controls 343 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, after a sweeping victory in an election last September.

"People chose stability and trust in the government by voting for the United Russia party in the face of risks and difficulties," Putin said after the parliamentary election.

United Russia's State Duma victory was deemed as a weathervane for the 2018 presidential election.