MOSCOW, March 5, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - The new Russian government will have few ministries and only one deputy Prime Minister, Mikhail Fradkov has announced, naming deputy speaker Alexander Zhukov. He said this in a conversation with journalists on Friday after the State Duma had approved his candidacy for Prime Minister.
On Tuesday Fradkov came to the Duma to consult with deputies and asked the United Russia faction to delegate Zhukov for Deputy Prime Minister.
"There will be few ministries, it is a decisive action to change the government's usual structure and regime of work," he said.
Working organization and responsibility of the Cabinet will increase, the new Prime Minister emphasized.
He refused to name candidates for ministers in the new government.
