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Victor Zubkov Gets His Place in the Sun
// Russia’s new prime minister approved by a record number of votes
The State Duma of Russia approved on Friday with loud applause Victor Zubkov as new prime minister. After being confirmed in office, Zubkov proceeded to the White House [headquarters of the Russian Government] to take over from his predecessor Mikhail Fradkov. However, the White House did not welcome Zubkov as enthusiastically as the Duma.
Candidate for prime minister Victor Zubkov was ready to deliver his address to the State Duma by 12:30 p.m. sharp. His speech lasted for 20 minutes. In its first half, Zubkov said “a few words” about himself. Then, he outlined the new government’s priorities: to create innovative economy, to raise the defense industry sector, to rationally use nature resources, to improve the quality of education and healthcare, and to modernize the housing maintenance service.
“There is hardly a sphere in which we should not fight for our place in the sun,” announced Victor Zubkov. Later, 381 Duma deputies voted for approving Zubkov as new prime minister. The Duma supported Zubkov by a storm of applause.
The new PM arrived to the White House at 4:45 p.m. –not earlier than the presidential website had published the president’s order on Zubkov’s appointment as prime minister. However, when Zubkov arrived to the PM’s fifth floor of the White House, it was only Sergei Naryshkin, head of the Government’s staff, who greeted him. First Deputy PMs Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Ivanov did not come out to welcome Zubkov. Neither did Deputy PM Alexander Zhukov.
Former PM Mikhail Fradkov was waiting for his successor in the reception room of the PM’s office. There, he gave Zubkov a hug, and led him into the office, holding him by the arm. The old PM talked to the new one for over an hour. Then Fradkov left.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 15, 2007
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