Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday Russia's
new Cabinet, including new ministers of health, economics, and
regional development, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has retained his post and has
become a deputy prime minister, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov have been re-appointed to
their former posts.
First Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Ivanov
have been reappointed. Elvira Nabiulina has been promoted from
first deputy economics minister to head of the ministry, replacing
German Gref.
Dmitry Kozak, formerly special representative of the president
in the Southern Federal District, has been appointed regional
development minister, replacing Vladimir Yakolev,
Tatyana Golikova, formerly deputy finance minister, has been
appointed health and social development minister to replace Mikhail
Zurabov.
Two new committees have appeared within the government structure
-- a state committee for youth affairs, and a state fisheries
committee. The president said certain functions of the Ministry of
Economic Development and Trade had been clarified.
Addressing the new government, Putin said: "We should not only
continue consistent work, but also actively push our strategic
plans through. At the same time, there must be a methodical
approach to clearly resolving the daily problems of Russian
citizens."
Putin formally appointed Viktor Zubkov as the new prime minister
after the parliament approved his nomination on September 14.
Zubkov submitted a new government line-up to President Vladimir
Putin on Monday.
(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2007)
