| [Content at a glance]Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the resignation request of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Fradkov and his government in the Kremlin on the 12th. Fradkov explained that the reason for the government’s resignation was to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. |
Profile picture: Ivanov (front left) and Medvedev (right)
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On September 12th, Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov were talking at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. On the same day, Putin announced that he accepted the resignation request of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and his government in order to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. Xinhua News Agency/AFP
Moscow, Sept. 12 (Xinhuanet)-Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the resignation request of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Fradkov and his government in the Kremlin on the 12th.
According to the Itar-Tass news agency, when explaining the reasons for the government’s resignation, Fradkov said: "The country is about to have a major political event and is willing to provide the president with full freedom to solve personnel and other issues."
Putin thanked Fradkov for his "achievements in his work" and asked him to be acting prime minister before the State Duma approved the new prime minister.
The election of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) will be held on December 2. Fradkov was appointed Prime Minister of Russian government by Putin on March 5th, 2004.
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Zubcov
According to Russian media reports, Viktor alexeyevich Zupokov was born on September 15th, 1941 in Kushinsk District, Sverdlovsk Region. He joined the work in August, 1958, and worked as a worker in the machinery repair factory in Monchegorsk, Mur mansker, and in the northern nickel smelting metallurgical joint venture. From 1960 to 1965, he studied in Leningrad Agricultural College, joined the army from 1965 to 1967, and worked in several state-owned farms in Leningrad from February 1967 to August 1985. He once held leadership positions, including the position of general manager of Wuyi Farm in Priojorsk District of Leningrad.
In August 1985, he was transferred to the party and government departments of Leningrad State and held important positions. He served as the district head of Priojorsk, the first secretary of the district committee, the director of the agricultural committee of Leningrad State Committee of the CPSU, and the first deputy governor of Leningrad State.
From January 1992 to November 1993, he served as the deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of St. Petersburg. In the same year, he was transferred to the State Taxation Supervision Bureau of St. Petersburg. He served as deputy director and director. Since July 1999, he has also served as the deputy director of the Ministry of Taxation of the Russian Federation. In 1999, he participated in the election of Leningrad governor as a candidate. In November 2001, he became the Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation and the Acting Chairman of the Financial Supervision Committee of the Federal Ministry of Finance. In March 2004, he became the director of the newly formed Federal Financial Supervision Bureau.
He received a higher education and obtained an associate doctor’s degree in economics. He was awarded the title of "Medal of Honor" (1975), "Red Flag Labor Medal" (1981), "Fourth Medal of Meritorious Service to the Motherland" (2000), "Medal of Meritorious Service to the Labor" (1986) and "Russian Meritorious Economist".
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In the early 1990 s, he served as a senior counselor of the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations and international organizations in Geneva, and a Russian representative to GATT; At the end of 1992, he served as Deputy Minister and First Deputy Minister of Russian Foreign Economic Relations; From April 1997 to May 2000, he served as Russian Minister of Trade; In May 2000, he became the first deputy secretary of the Russian Federal Security Council; In March 2001, he became the director of the tax police of the Russian Federation; In 2003, he served as the plenipotentiary representative of Russia to the European Union, and in June 2003, he was appointed as the special representative of Russia to develop relations with the European Union. In March 2004, he became the Prime Minister of the Russian government.
Fradkov can speak fluent English and Spanish. Married with two children.
In November 2005, he paid an official visit to China and held the 10th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian Prime Ministers with Premier Wen Jiabao.
Editor: Li Xingchi