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Belokonev unaware of his appointment as new head of Youth Agency

He suggested waiting for the prime minister’s official decision

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

ST. PETERSBURG, June 23 (Itar-Tass) —— Sergei Belokonev said he was not aware of his appointment as the new head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs.

“I temporarily act as heads of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs. I have no other information,” he told Itar-Tass by telephone from a youth forum on Lake Ladoga on Saturday, June 23.

“I want to thank Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov for support but also note that the head of the federal agency is appointed by the chairman of the government,” Belokonev said.

He suggested waiting for the prime minister’s official decision.

Belokonev said that the Agency is continuing to work and is preparing several forums, including the one on Seliger that will begin on June 1 and will bring together more than 20,000 participants this year.

The post of the Agency’s head became vacant after its previous leader, Vasily Yakimenko, had resigned earlier this month.

Earlier, Livanov said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Belokonev would be the new head of the Agency for Youth Affairs.

He did not say whether the Agency would change its activities. “We plan to review the activities and the projects the Agency for Youth Affairs has been carrying out over the past several years and discuss its agenda for the years to come. When it is ready, we will let you know,” the minister said.

Until May 2012, the Agency for Youth Affairs was under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy. However after the government shakeup following the presidential election, control over the Agency passed to the Ministry of Education and Science. Shortly after that the Agency’s head Vasily Yakimenko resigned.

Belokonev was Yakimenko’s deputy. Prior to that he has headed the St. Petersburg division of the youth organisation “Marching Together” and then worked as secretary of the federal council of the youth organisation Nashi (Ours).

In 2007, Belokonev became a State Duma deputy from the United Russia party and was first deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on Youth Affairs.

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