The development of the Russian Far East and Arctic has now become an important aspect of Russian domestic policy. The responsible ministry under Minister Alexey Chekunkov and his representatives have become important figures. After the announcement of the resignation of Deputy Minister Alexander Krutikov, the gap had to be filled quickly. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin split the huge portfolio that Krutikov had occupied into three parts and filled them accordingly.
In three press releases over the weekend, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic (Minvostokrazvitiya) announced the appointments of Gadzhimagomed Guseynov, Anatoly Bobrakov and Marat Shamyunov. All three will take on reallocated areas within the ministry. The appointment by Prime Minister Mishustin is in effect immediately.
The three newly appointed deputy ministers are no strangers to Russian politics. Guseynov originally hails from the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan and Bobrakov from the Russian Far East, Shamyunov from Moscow. The 43-year-old Gadzhimagomed Guseynov from Dagestan was the first chairman of the government in the Republic of Dagestan for the last three years, before that he was the head of the department for budget policy in the Russian Ministry of Finance. On the other hand, Anatoly Bobrakov, who was born in 1980 in the Republic of Sakha, was previously Vice-President of the Russian Development Fund for the Far East and the Arctic. Also, 38-year-old Marat Shamyunov was Deputy Director of the Department of Legal Regulation of Budgetary Relations of the Russian Ministry of Finance.
According to the will of the head of the government, Prime Minister Mishustin, Guseynov will be First Deputy Minister and will report directly to the supreme head of the ministry, Alexey Chekunkov. His areas of responsibility will include preference regimes, construction issues, land and property relations and budget investment. Anatoly Bobrakov will oversee investment, public-private partnerships, digitization, innovation policy and international relations at the ministry. And Marat Shamyunov will address issues of social development, budgetary policy and implementation of state programs for the development of regions. The division of duties previously held by Alexander Krutikov and appointment of economic and development experts does not come as a surprise, as Russia wants to promote the development of the regions in the Russian Far East and the Arctic. Because the whole dossier has been declared a top priority by President Putin, who has demanded, among other things, around 80 million tonnes of goods to be transported along the Northeast Passage by 2024.
Dr Michael Wenger, PolarJournal
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