President Putin Nominates Candidates for Senior Defense, Security Posts in Russian's New Government
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Last week, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a letter of resignation for his cabinet, including himself, after the inauguration ceremony of President Vladimir Putin, according to the government press service. The constitution gives Putin two-weeks to propose a new cabinet to parliament.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed candidates for the new cabinet's ministers of defense and foreign affairs, as well as chiefs of top security agencies, Russia's Federation Council said on Sunday.
"The Federation Council has received the list of candidates proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the positions of heads of a number of federal ministries and agencies," the upper house said.
The Russian leader proposed reappointing:
Sergey Lavrov as foreign minister;
Vladimir Kolokoltsev as interior minister;
Alexander Kurenkov as minister for emergency situations.
At the same time, Sergei Shoigu will leave the post of the Russian defense minister to be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree 'On the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation' ... to appoint Sergey Shoigu as the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin said.
In the Russian law enforcement and security agencies, Viktor Zolotov was endorsed to continue heading the Russian National Guard, Dmitry Kochnev to remain chief of the Federal Protection Service (FSO) and Alexander Bortnikov as the chief of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Sergey Naryshkin will also remain the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
