Moscow (Platts)--23May2008

Russia is expected to complete the split of its industry and energy
ministry into two separate bodies next week, as new energy minister Sergey
Shamtko will soon get deputies appointed to him, a representative of the new
industry and trade ministry said Friday.

The change from having a single ministry for industry and energy is the
result of a cabinet reshuffle by new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier
this month.

In the reshuffle, former industry and energy minister Viktor Khristenko
moved to head the new industry and trade ministry, while the newly created
energy ministry got Shmatko, the former president of Atomstroyexport, a
state-owned nuclear, equipment and services company.

Two of Khristenko's former deputies, Andrey Dementyev, who was in charge
of energy, and Denis Manturov, who oversaw industry, followed their former
chief to the new industry and trade ministry. They were appointed to their new
deputy minister posts on May 19, a spokesman with the ministry said.

New energy minister Shmatko, meanwhile, will get deputies soon after
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin issues a ruling on the new ministry, a
spokeswoman for Shamtko said.

The ruling will define the structure and objectives of the new ministry,
after which there will be legal and financial grounds to appoint deputies, she
added.

"We have to start from scratch," she said.

She declined to comment on a media report Friday that said Anatoly
Yanovsky, former deputy industry and energy minister, could be appointed as
one of Shmatko's deputies.

"The team will be formed taking into account professional qualities of
the candidates," she said, declining to speculate on possible nominees.
Russian business daily Kommersant reported Friday that Yanovsky's
candidacy was already approved by Igor Sechin, deputy prime minister in charge
of energy and industry.