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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Russia to have a trim cabinet of 17

Russian Vladimir Putin on Tuesday presented a drastically reduced Cabinet of 17 ministers instead of 30 in a top-to-bottom shakeup that he said will make the government more efficient and boost economic reforms.


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Russian Vladimir Putin on Tuesday presented a drastically reduced Cabinet of 17 ministers instead of 30 in a top-to-bottom shakeup that he said will make the government more efficient and boost economic reforms.

Putin retained most of the key ministers, including liberal reformers Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, a close friend of Putin's from their days in the KGB who is believed to be Putin's preferred successor in 2008, also kept his job.

But in two surprise appointments, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Sergei Lavrov, was appointed foreign minister, and former First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko was appointed energy and industry minister, with an expanded portfolio that includes not only oil and gas but also industry, construction, arms production and nuclear power. But he lost his post of deputy prime minister.

Former Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was named the new head of the presidential advisory Security Council, replacing one-time Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo.

There will only be one deputy prime minister -- liberal economist and Duma Deputy Alexander Zhukov of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party.

Stephen O'Sullivan, co-head of research at United Financial Group, said the decision to halve the number of ministries and get rid of all but one deputy prime minister is "very positive."

In a Cabinet meeting at 3 p.m. and later broadcast on Channel One television, a stern-looking Putin said the shakeup will allow "a shady government with overlapping responsibilities ... to be changed into an effective and modern instrument of administration."

Reading from notes, he said the reform will "make every appointed minister responsible for the work of his given department."

He said the new government will resign as required by law after the election but said that will be "a mere formality."

The new Cabinet will meet for the first time Thursday.

Name-list of Russian cabinet members

Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov

Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin

Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev

Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref

Energy and Industry Minister Viktor Khristenko

Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu

Transportation and Communications Minister Igor Levitin

Culture and Press Minister Alexander Sokolov Zurabov

Health and Social Development Minister Mikhail Zurabov

Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko

Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev

Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnyev

Justice Minister Yury Chaika

Cabinet Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak

By People's Daily Online




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