The leadership of the Soviet Union remains unchanged after a full session meeting of the Supreme Soviet on Friday (26 July).

Nikolai Podgorny, 71, was re-elected for a further term as President of the Soviet Union and Alexei Kosygin, 70, was re-nominated as Prime Minister. Together with Party Leader Leonid Brezhnev these two veteran politicians have formed the ruling troika in the USSR since the fall of the late Nikita Kruschev from the Premiership in 1964.

Political observers said that Friday's vote emphasized the Kremlin's wish for continuity at the top and continued adherence to the principle of collective leadership.

Mr. Kosygin also presented, and had approved, a list of government ministers identical to the administration he headed before last month's general elections. It included Culture Minister Yekaterina Furtseva, 63, the only woman in the top echelons of Soviet power, whose re-appointment had been in doubt after a spate of rumours that she was in official disgrace. These were triggered by the fact that she was not chosen to stand as a candidate at the June elections to the Supreme Soviet.

In recent years there have been frequent but unconfirmed reports that either Mr. Kosygin or Mr. Podgorny wished to retire, but these now seem to be disproved after Friday's re-election procedures.

In a speech following the approval of his government list Mr. Kosygin told the 1,517 deputies that his ministers would concentrate their attention on further improving the management of the growing economy.

The next session of the Supreme Soviet - which meets twice a year - is expected to be in December, when the state plan and budget for 1975 will be approved.