VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHMO #0484 0531128
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221128Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6752
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS MOSCOW 000484
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PASS TO USTR/RHODE/KLEIN
EUR/RUS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV RS
SUBJECT: SHUFFLE AT MEDT DEPUTIES' LEVEL
REF: MOSCOW 365
1. (SBU) Summary. MEDT's long expected personnel
re-organization is underway. Embassy contact Andrey Klepach
was promoted from within MEDT to a Deputy Minister position
and another contact, Stanislav Voskrensensky, was transferred
from the Presidential Administration and also appointed as a
Deputy Minister. Two senior MEDT officials, Deputy Minister
Kirill Androsov and Saeed Batkibekov, Director of the
Department of Socio-Economic Reforms, are rumored to be
leaving soon for Sberbank and Troika Dialog, respectively.
The personnel changes are not expected to affect WTO
negotiations and may increase MEDT's intra-governmental
clout. End Summary.
2. (SBU) On February 20, PM Zubkov appointed Andrey Klepach,
currently Director, Macro-Economic Forecasting, MEDT, as
Deputy Minister, one of six deputy positions. Klepach is
considered one of the strongest macro-economists in the GOR,
and will continue to be responsible for forecasting and
strategic planning. Klepach has been long-time contact of
the Embassy's and in 2001, he participated in a two-week,
USAID-sponsored training program in the U.S.
3. (SBU) The same day, Zubkov also appointed 34-year-old
Stanislav Voskrensensky, currently Deputy Head, Expert
Directorate, Presidential Administration, as another of
MEDT's Deputy Ministers, in charge of tax and investment
policy. This position has been vacant for several months.
Voskrensensky is well-known to the Embassy, and has been a
key interlocutor on IPR issues, including participating in
the Embassy-hosted IPR roundtable on the Russian music
industry in April 2007. USG officials also have engaged with
Voskrensensky several times on Russia's Strategic Sectors Law
(SSL) and he has traveled to the U.S. to speak about the SSL.
He personally has supported limited application of this law
and greater involvement of foreign investors in these
sectors. Voskrensensky also has a close rapport with his
former boss, Arkady Dvorkovich, Head, Expert Directorate, and
is well-respected in the Presidential Administration. He has
contributed much of the economic policy content in Putin's
recent addresses, including the February 8 State Council
address which outlined "Russia's 2020 Vision." Voskresensky
also assisted in drafting Medvedev's "Four 'I's" speech in
Krasnoyarsk. Voskrenensky's promotion should be a positive
step forward for IPR protection. His appointment also might
help to ensure clear rules governing foreign investment in
Russia's strategic sectors. Moreover, in light of the
political patronage Voskresensky seems to enjoy, his
appointment may lay to rest rumors that MEDT will play a
lesser role in Russia's economic policy-making.
4. (SBU) Deputy Trade Minister Kirill Androsov is rumored to
be leaving for a senior deputy position at Sberbank. If true,
Androsov, with his MBA from the University of Chicago and
Ph.d in economics from St. Petersburg Naval Technical
University, would bring much needed macro-expertise and
business savvy to Sberbank. He was a protg of German Gref,
having worked for Gref in the St. Petersburg government
before MEDT. The press has covered extensively Androsov's
purported move to Sberbank - but neither Sberbank nor
Androsov has confirmed this. Nonetheless, his rumored
appointment already has met with some criticism since he,
like Gref, does not have a banking background. If Androsov
were to make the move, Sberbank would likely benefit from his
experience as a member on the Board of Directors of Rosneft,
Svayazinvest, and VTB. (Comment: Androsov would likely step
down from these positions once he left MEDT.) Sberbank also
would be positioned well to participate in infrastructure
financing projects. Androsov at one time headed the MEDT's
Infrastructure Reform Department and spearheaded the GOR's
private-public partnership strategy on infrastructure.
5. (SBU) Also expected to leave the MEDT is Saeed
Batikibekov, who is expected to head the Infrastructure Fund
of Troika Dialog. Russian investment house Troika is
continuing its practice of snatching up the most promising,
market-oriented GOR officials. In July 2007, Troika hired
Andrei Sharnov, who had served nine years of Deputy Trade
Minister. Sharonov is now Troika's Managing Director.
BURNS