Cabinet reshuffle underway in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on Monday that increases the number of deputy prime ministers from nine to ten.

The move comes as part of a major Cabinet reshuffle that saw five ministers leave their posts. The lineup had been in place since January.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin had proposed the appointment of Alexander Novak, currently the energy minister, as the 10th deputy prime minister, the Cabinet's website said.

After Putin identified those to leave the Cabinet, Mishustin proposed candidates to fill the vacated posts. The prime minister said the proposed replacements have extensive experience in a range of industries.

At a daily news conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the government reshuffle a routine rotation.

According to state news agency Tass, the lower house of the parliament, known as State Duma, is yet to approve the nominees.

At the Energy Ministry, Novak is to be replaced by the general director of RusHydro, Nikolai Shulginov, Tass reported.

Energy strategy

The reshuffle is not expected to diminish Novak's influence on Russia's ties with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. Novak said he would work "in tandem" with his successor to oversee Russian energy strategy until 2035.

Industry sources told Reuters that Novak, who had served as energy minister since 2012, would remain Moscow's main representative at OPEC and provide stability during a prolonged period of volatility in the global oil market.

In the other changes, Putin dismissed Yevgeny Dietrich from the transport portfolio, Dmitry Kobylkin from the natural resources and environment post, and Vladimir Yakushev, who had been construction minister.

Peskov said the reshuffle of ministers, coming ahead of parliamentary elections next year, were not related to performance in fulfilling Putin's directives.

Yakushev has been appointed presidential plenipotentiary envoy to the Urals Federal District.

Alexander Kozlov, the minister for the development of the Far East and the Arctic, will become the natural resources and environment minister, if approved by State Duma.

Kobylkin and Dietrich have not yet received new appointments.

Vitaly Savelyev, CEO of flag-carrier airline Aeroflot, was nominated as the new transport minister.

The Cabinet reshuffle in January came after Putin accepted the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister, and proposed constitutional amendments.

Media reports said Novak, 49, has also maintained close contacts with officials in the United States and OPEC, especially since the collapse of oil prices earlier this year.

The Kremlin hopes that with the new Cabinet, it will "be possible to build dialogue with the next US president and agree to improve relations between the two countries", Peskov said.

Gerhard Mangott, professor of international relations at the University of Innsbruck, said the US and Russia may quickly restart their suspended talks on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, if Joe Biden is confirmed as the elected US leader.

The Russian government is awaiting the official results of the US election before congratulating either Biden as the president-elect or Donald Trump upon reelection as the president.

If Biden is declared elected, his administration is likely to offer Russia an extension of the New START for five years without any preconditions, Mangott said.