Russian Deputy Prime Minister Resigns

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov, the Kremlin’s press service announced Wednesday. Surkov voluntarily chose to leave, according to the statement. Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti that Surkov’s letter of resignation came on the heels of a meeting with the president about the implementation of ordinances. Peskov added that the president’s decision to accept the letter of resignation was connected with the implementation of presidential decrees and election promises. Surkov sits on the supervisory board of Russian high-tech innovation hub Skolkovo, which has found itself embroiled in a series of legal disputes in recent months. Surkov made headlines this week because of his statement on the funds misappropriation investigation which resulted in Alexei Beltyukov, Senior Vice President of the Skolkovo Foundation, being suspended from his post. Skolkovo, a pet project of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev opened during his presidency in 2010, has been popularly dubbed Russia’s Silicon Valley, and was intended to lead the country’s drive to diversify and modernize its economy and increase the output of high-tech products.

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