Ex-Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and Igor Shuvalov, the former aide to President Putin, were appointed First Deputy Prime Ministers. In the previous government, these positions were held by Dmitry Medvedev, who was elected President of Russia in March 2008, and Sergei Ivanov, who became Deputy Prime Minister in the new cabinet.

Alexander Zhukov and Alexei Kudrin retained their positions as Deputy Prime Ministers. Sergei Sobyanin, former Chief-of-Staff to Putin, and his deputy Igor Sechin have been appointed new Deputy Prime Ministers. Sobyanin will also act as chief of government staff. Sergei Naryshkin, who was Deputy Prime Minister in Zubkov’s government, was appointed chief-of-staff to President Medvedev.

In the new government, Viktor Zubkov will be responsible for agricultural issues, including the implementation of the national agriculture project, state policy on fishing and forestry, and he will also control government commissions for related matters.

Igor Shuvalov will oversee foreign trade, talks on Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), state support for small businesses, management of state property, the creation of a single economic space with the CIS countries, as well as anti-monopoly policy and price regulation.

Alexei Kudrin, who remained Russia’s Finance Minister, will be in charge of financial matters, such as the preparation of the key guidelines of Russia’s socioeconomic development, the single financial, monetary and tax policy, public debt management, investment policy, drafting and execution of the federal budget and regulation of financial markets.

Alexander Zhukov will concentrate on priority national projects and state policy on education, healthcare, housing, culture, art and sport, including preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

Igor Sechin will oversee industry and energy, including industrial policy (except for defense industries), energy, subsoil use and environmental protection.

Sergei Sobyanin will focus on legislative work, also assessing the efficiency of executive authorities and overseeing the division of powers between different branches of power.

Structural changes in the government

The government structure has undergone certain changes. The Industry and Energy Ministry has been divided into two separate ministries, the Energy Ministry and the Industry and Trade Ministry, to which trade issues will be transferred from the competence of the Economy Development and Trade Ministry. Former Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko received the portfolio of Industry and Trade Minister, and Sergei Shmatko, ex-President of Atomstroiexport, will work as Energy Minister.

The Economic Development and Trade Ministry has been renamed the Economy Development Ministry in connection with the transfer of trade functions to the newly created Industry and Trade Ministry. Elvira Nabiullina remained in charge of the renamed ministry.

The Information Technology and Communications Ministry was transformed into the Communications Ministry, and the Ministry for Culture and Mass Communications into the Culture Ministry. Igor Shchegolev, former head of the President’s Protocol Department, was appointed the Communications Minister, and Alexander Avdeyev, former Russian ambassador to France, became Culture Minister. Former Information Technology and Communications Minister Leonid Reiman and Culture Minister Alexander Sokolov were not included into the new government.

The Natural Resources Ministry was renamed the Ministry for Natural Resources and Ecology as it received new functions and will oversee the country’s environmental situation. Yury Trutnev remained the head of the ministry.

A new ministry, the Ministry for Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy, has been created. It will be headed by Vitaly Mutko, the former President of the Russian Football Union.

The following federal agencies have been abolished: the Federal Agency for Healthcare and Social Development, the Federal Agency for Construction and Housing and Communal Services, the Federal Industry Agency, and the Federal Energy Agency. Their functions have been transferred to respective ministries.

A new federal agency, the Federal Agency for the Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States, has been set up.

Along with Sergei Naryshkin, Leonid Reiman and Alexander Sokolov, Vladimir Ustinov has not made it into the new government. Alexander Konovalov, former Presidential Representative in the Volga Federal District, replaced him as Justice Minister.

Other cabinet members retained their jobs in the government, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, Emergency Situations and Civil Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Dmitry Kozak, Healthcare and Social Development Minister Tatyana Golikova, Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko, Transportation Minister Igor Livitin and Alexei Gordeyev have retained their jobs in the government.

The Federal Security Service was also affected by the changes: Nikolai Patrushev was replaced by his former deputy Alexander Bortnikov as Director of the Federal Security Service.

“Two thirds of the government have been replaced. The cabinet has been formed and is ready to work,” Putin said addressing the new ministers on Monday. “Speaking in the State Duma, I outlined the program of the government’s priority actions, and the support of Duma deputies allows us to move forward confidently in close contact with lawmakers,” he stated.

“The government will have to work hard in order to achieve its goals, which are aimed at improving people’s living standards,” the Prime Minister noted.