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