UPDATE2: Russia’s Putin appoints deputy fin min Oreshkin as econ min

(Rewrites headline, lede)

MOSCOW, Nov 30 (PRIME) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to appoint Deputy Finance Minister Maxim Oreshkin as the economic development minister starting from Wednesday, the Kremlin’s press service said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin offered Oreshkin to chair the Economic Development Ministry, and Oreshkin agreed.

“Maxim Stanislavovich, you are not working that long, but on the whole not for a short time, and you are working successfully. I want to offer you the post of the economic development minister,” Putin said.

“I agree,” Oreshkin said.

Alexei Ulyukayev was dismissed as the economic development minister earlier in November after being detained and put under house arrest on charges of receiving a U.S. $2 million bribe for granting the ministry’s approval that allowed oil major Rosneft to buy the state’s 50.08% stake in oil firm Bashneft.

Oreshkin, who is 34, said his main task on the new post next year will be to prepare key measures to lift structural barriers for growth of the Russian economy.

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