Russian leader Putin names new Cabinet

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russian President Vladimir Putin named a new Cabinet Monday, warning its members that they will have to fulfill their duties in a difficult global economic climate.

Several key ministers, including foreign, defense and finance, have kept their seats, but some of the most unpopular ones were replaced. Their dismissal, however wouldn't necessarily mean that they have been completely purged from officialdom. Russian media are speculating that some could get other senior jobs.

Putin, who won a third term in March's election, said the new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev should continue the course set in previous years.

"The situation in the global economy is unclear; there are quite a lot of factors that make it opaque," Putin said in televised remarks to the new Cabinet. "You will have to fulfill a program of Russia's development in these conditions."

Medvedev stepped down as president to allow Putin to reclaim the top job. Putin served as the premier for four years after having to relinquish his presidency after two terms due to a constitutional limit of two consecutive terms.

Many key members of the old Cabinet have retained their seats, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov has clung to his seat despite a controversy over his investments and wealth.

Vladislav Surkov, the architect of Putin's domestic policies who was transferred to the Cabinet last fall, also has retained the position of a deputy prime minister.

Igor Sechin, Putin's longtime aide who oversaw the oil and gas sector as a deputy prime minister, has lost his seat but is widely expected to retain his influence and continue overseeing top energy projects from behind the scenes.

Some of the most unpopular ministers, including those who were in charge of health, education, and interior affairs, have left the Cabinet. Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, who has faced massive public criticism over widespread incidents of torture and other abuses by police, has been replaced by Moscow police chief Vladimir Kolokoltsev.

Tatyana Golikova, who has been seen as a culprit for the worsening state of the nation's healthcare system amid a reform widely seen as badly planned and ill-guided, has been replaced by her deputy, Veronika Skvortsova. The highly unpopular former Education Minister Anatoly Fursenko was succeeded by Dmitry Livanov, the rector of the Moscow Steel University.

Putin, who has a record of keeping his lieutenants on government service despite public criticism, is widely expected to give the former ministers perky positions in his administration.

"New faces, old policy," opposition lawmaker Ilya Ponomarev tweeted acerbically after the new Cabinet was announced.

Amid the new faces in the Cabinet were Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets, who in the past were linked to tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov, the billionaire owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team. Prokhorov came in third in Russia's presidential elections, winning liberal votes on the wave of massive protests against Putin's rule, but then left the political scene, apparently reluctant to challenge Putin.

Novak has recently served as a deputy finance minister, while Golodets has held a job of deputy mayor of Moscow.

The new minister of culture, Vladimir Medinsky, who has succeeded soft-spoken former diplomat Alexander Avdeyev, is a member of the main Kremlin party, who has become known for his books praising Russia's achievements.

Some of Medvedev's key allies also have taken seats in the new Cabinet. His economic advisor, Arkady Dvorkovich, has been named a deputy prime minister and Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov has kept his seat. Mikhail Abyzov, who oversaw Medvedev's efforts to broaden his support base, has been named the minister in charge of relations with the so-called "Open Government," an effort by Medvedev to offer the public more input in discussions of state affairs.

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