Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday Russia's new Cabinet, including new ministers of health, economics, and regional development, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

 

Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has retained his post and has become a deputy prime minister, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov have been re-appointed to their former posts.

 

First Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Ivanov have been reappointed. Elvira Nabiulina has been promoted from first deputy economics minister to head of the ministry, replacing German Gref.

 

Dmitry Kozak, formerly special representative of the president in the Southern Federal District, has been appointed regional development minister, replacing Vladimir Yakolev,

 

Tatyana Golikova, formerly deputy finance minister, has been appointed health and social development minister to replace Mikhail Zurabov.

 

Two new committees have appeared within the government structure -- a state committee for youth affairs, and a state fisheries committee. The president said certain functions of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade had been clarified.

 

Addressing the new government, Putin said: "We should not only continue consistent work, but also actively push our strategic plans through. At the same time, there must be a methodical approach to clearly resolving the daily problems of Russian citizens."

 

Putin formally appointed Viktor Zubkov as the new prime minister after the parliament approved his nomination on September 14. Zubkov submitted a new government line-up to President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2007)