MOSCOW, January 21./TASS/. In a decree on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Dmitry Grigorenko, Yuri Trutnev, Viktoria Abramchenko, Yuri Borisov, Tatyana Golikova, Alexei Overchuk, Marat Khusnullin and Dmitry Chernyshenko as deputies to the prime minister.
Grigorenko also becomes chief of the government staff. Trutnev has remained presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District.
The new government, that previously had ten deputies to the prime minister, will now have nine ones.
Ministers
The new Russian government will consist of 21 ministers, eight of whom have been newly appointed for their positions.
According to the Kremlin press service, Russian President Vladimir Putin has decreed to appoint Mikhail Murashko as Minister of Health, Olga Lyubimova — as Minister of Culture, Valery Falkov — as Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sergei Kravtsov — as Minister of Education, Oleg Matytsin — as Minister of Sport, Anton Kotyakov — as Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Maksut Shadayev — as Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media. The Russian leader also nominated former Governor of the Perm Region Maxim Reshetnikov as Minister of Economic Development.
Former Deputy PM and Russian Government Chief of Staff Konstantin Chuichenko has been assigned Minister of Justice.
Importantly, twelve ministers from the previous government maintain their positions under new PM Mishustin. According to the presidential decree published on Tuesday evening, Vladimir Kolokoltsev remains as Interior Minister and Yevgeny Zinichev keeps his post of Minister of Emergencies.
Dmitry Kobylkin keeps his office as Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Denis Manturov continues as head of Ministry of Industry and Trade, Alexander Kozlov has secured the tenure as Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, and Dmitry Patrushev will go on as Minister of Agriculture. Vladimir Yakushev has been reappointed Minister of Construction Industry, Housing and Utilities, along with Yevgeny Dietrich (Minister of Transport) and Alexander Novak (Minister of Energy). Anton Siluanov has maintained his position as Minister of Finance; however, he no longer serves as First Deputy PM.
Russian Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs Sergei Shoigu and Sergey Lavrov have also maintained their positions within the new government.
According to the Kremlin press service, Russian President Vladimir Putin "has decreed to appoint Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Shoigu Sergei Kuzhugetovich for the position of Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation."
Sergey Lavrov, 69, has served as head of the Russian Foreign Ministry since March 9, 2004. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), having held different positions at the USSR and Russian Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
Sergei Shoigu, 64, has held his position as Russian Defense Minister since November 6, 2012. Shoigu holds the military rank of General of the Army. He served as Minister of Emergency Situations from 1994 to 2012, and briefly served as Governor of the Moscow Region in 2012.
Structures subordinate to Russian government
The Russian government will supervise the work of the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography, the Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare and the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, according to the decree President Vladimir Putin signed on Tuesday.
Under the same decree, the Finance Ministry is to supervise the activities of the Federal Agency for State Property Management.
Also, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov will supervise the fuel and energy sector in the new government, Minister of Energy Alexander Novak said on Tuesday. "Yuri Ivanovich [Borisov]," the minister responded when asked who will be in charge of the fuel and energy sector instead of Dmitry Kozak who has not joined the new government.
Russia’s government said it would resign on January 15, just hours after President delivered his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly (both houses of Russia’s parliament), announcing ambitious measures of social protection and putting forward a proposal to amend Russia’s Constitution.
The President nominated Mikhail Mishustin, the head of Russia’s tax service, for prime minister. On January 16, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, backed the candidate at its plenary session and Putin immediately signed a decree appointing Mikhail Mishustin as the country’s prime minister.
On January 21, the Russian leader fixed the new structure of the Russian government in a presidential decree.
Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs
The decree abolishes the Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs transfering its responsibilities to the Russian Economic Development Ministry. "To abolish the Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs, transfering its responsibilities to the Russian Economic Development Ministry," the decree runs.