Putin signs decree to appoint new Russian government

MOSCOW, Jan 22 (PRIME) -- President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to appoint the new Russian government, according to a relevant document released by the Kremlin late Tuesday.

According to the decree, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will have nine deputies, including First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, who previously served as a presidential aide.

Yury Trutnev, Yury Borisov, and Tatyana Golikova will remain deputy prime ministers.

The newcomers as deputy prime ministers are: Dmitry Grigorenko, who will also serve as chief of staff of the government, Alexei Overchuk, Marat Khusnullin, Dmitry Chernyshenko, and Viktoria Abramchenko.

Sergei Lavrov has retained his post of the Russian foreign minister in the new Russian government, according to the decree.

Sergei Shoigu has retained the post of the country’s defense minister, Alexander Novak has retained the post of the energy minister, Vladimir Kolokoltsev has retained the post of the interior minister, while Denis Manturov has retained the post of the industry and trade minister.

Anton Siluanov has retained the post of the finance minister, losing the post of the first deputy prime minister.

Maxim Reshetnikov was appointed as the minister of economic development after resigning as the governor of the Perm Region. He replaced Maxim Oreshkin at the post.

Among other ministers who retained their posts are Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dmitry Kobylkin, Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, Far East Development Minister Alexander Kozlov, Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh, Construction, Housing and Utilities Minister Vladimir Yakushev, and Emergency Situations Minister Yevgeny Zinichev.

Sergei Kravtsov was appointed as the new education minister, Olga Lyubimova as the culture minister, Oleg Matytsin as the sports minister, Konstantin Chuichenko as the justice minister, Valery Falkov as the science and higher education minister, former Vice President of Rostelecom Maksut Shadayev as the minister of digital development, communications and mass media, Mikhail Murashko as the health minister, and Anton Kotyakov as the minister of labor and social protection.

Putin also signed a decree to liquidate the ministry for North Caucasus affairs transferring its functions to the Economic Development Ministry.

In addition, according to the decree, the Federal State Property Management Agency will be now managed by the Finance Ministry instead of the Economic Development Ministry.

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