The document highlights the main principles of the current administrative reform and defines the structure and functions of federal executive bodies (ministries, federal services and federal agencies).
At the same time, President Putin signed decrees appointing members of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The new Government will have 17 ministers instead of 30, with Alexander Zhukov the first and only Deputy Prime Minister.
Sergei Lavrov will head the Foreign Ministry. Igor Ivanov will step down as Foreign Minister to become Secretary of the Security Council. Alexei Kudrin has been appointed Finance Minister. Viktor Khristenko will head the Industry and Energy Ministry, and Rashid Nurgaliyev, the Internal Affairs Ministry. Yury Trutnev will be the new Minister of Natural Resources.
The Ministries of Education and Science will be combined together and put under Andrei Fursenko. The Health Ministry will take up social issues, and Mikhail Zurabov will be its head.
The Ministry of Agriculture, which will continue to be led by Alexei Gordeyev, gets a new function: that of overseeing the fisheries industry.
The Ministry of Culture will now be concerned with the press and information. Its new head will be Alexander Sokolov. Igor Levitin has been appointed Minister of Transport and Communications.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, Justice Minister Yury Chaika, Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref and Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu retained their posts.
Dmitry Kozak has been made Chief of the Government Office with the rank of minister.