Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, a leading figure in the energy sector and in negotiations with the OPEC+ alliance, has been given new responsibilities to coordinate the economy, it is clear from government announcement cited by Reuters and BTA.
The announcement, which was made on the government.ru website, lists Novak's added duties, including coordinating policy in the socio-economic sphere and overseeing measures to offset Western sanctions, as well as investment policy, support for small and the average business and the unified financial, credit and currency policy.
Boris Belyakov, press secretary of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, said that 52-year-old Novak "in view of the tasks entrusted to him in the past and the management experience he has gained, he has proven that he has the necessary skills and competence to organize the work at the highest possible level".
The press release said that Novak will lead "the development of a unified plan for achieving the national development goals of Russia by 2030 and 2036."
Earlier in the week, President Vladimir Putin confirmed the composition of his government after being re-elected in March for a new six-year term.
Novak has been Deputy Prime Minister since 2020, and before that from 2012 until then he was Minister of Energy.
He is Russia's public face in the OPEC+ format negotiations, which brings together the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other oil-producing countries. The union agreed and reduced the levels of national productions to prevent oversaturation of international markets.