Russian parliament approves new PM Mikhail MishustinJanuary 16, 2020 - 17:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian lawmakers approved Russian President Vladimir Putin's nomination for a new prime minister on Thursday, January 16, following a series of bombshell announcements including constitutional changes and the resignation of the government, Deutsche Welle reports. The State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, voted in favor of tax authority chief Mikhail Mishustin. He received 383 votes out of the 424 cast — which included 41 abstentions. In an address to parliament ahead of the vote, Mishustin said that Russians must "feel real changes for the better" and that he was committed to keeping inflation at around 4%. He added that all members of his government will "bear personal responsibility" for achieving Putin's economic development program, Russian news agency Interfax reported. On Wednesday, Putin said was "satisfied" with the previous government's performance, although they failed to fulfill certain tasks. Mishustin's nomination to replace Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister came as a surprise. Mishustin has been leading Russia's federal tax authority since 2010 and is not considered a high-profile politician in Russia. It was not immediately clear whether Mishustin will be a temporary figure or if he was selected as a possible successor to Putin. The new prime minister said that an announcement will be made in the next few days about the composition of his Cabinet. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |