Russian President Vladimir Putin made some changes in the government, according to what the Kremlin announced today. The amendments affected the ministries of transport and natural resources, and a number of new appointments were made.
The changes were based on presidential decrees published on the Kremlin’s official website on Monday. According to the Kremlin press service, Russian President Dmitry Kobelkin was sacked from the post of Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and Yevgeny Dietrich was removed from the post of Minister of Transport.
Putin also dismissed Nikolai Tsukanov from the post of Commissioner of the Russian President in the Urals (the region between Europe and Asia). Vladimir Yakushev was removed from the post of Minister of Construction, Housing and Community Services and appointed to the post of Commissioner of the Russian President in the Urals.
Putin also signed a decree to increase the number of Russian deputy prime ministers from nine to ten.
For his part, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin submitted to the House of Representatives the “Duma” a proposal to appoint Alexander Novak, who served as the Russian Energy Minister, as deputy prime minister.
Mishustin said, during a meeting with the government today, that he had submitted several candidates for positions in the government to the Russian Parliament. The Russian prime minister submitted a proposal to appoint Nikolai Shulginov, former head of the Russian Federal Agency for Underground Wealth, “Rosegedra”, as Energy Minister to replace Alexander Novak.
Mishustin Alexander Kozlov, the current minister for the development of the Russian Far East, was nominated for the position of Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and the First Deputy Minister of Russian Construction Erik Veyzulin was nominated for the position of Minister of Construction, Housing and Community Services.
He proposed appointing the head of the Russian airline “Aeroflot”, Vitaly Salavyov, as the Russian Minister of Transport.