VERONA, October 23. /TASS/. Marina Kovtun, governor of Russia’s northern region of Murmansk, dismissed media reports on Friday about plans to establish a ministry for the Arctic affairs.
"These are unconfirmed rumours. No new ministry will be formed. We have the State Council [for the Arctic]," Kovtun told TASS, adding that President Vladimir Putin did not want to set up new ministries during the period of budget optimization.
Murmansk media reported earlier that Kovtun would be appointed head of the newly formed ministry for the Arctic Affairs.