MOSCOW. Jan 27 (Interfax) - The Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament, has approved two president-proposed bills that form the new North Caucasus Federal District and appoint Alexander Khloponin deputy prime minister and presidential envoy to this district.
Amendments introduced into the laws on Russia's government and civil service allow deputy prime ministers and federal ministers to simultaneously hold the post of presidential envoy to federal districts.
These decisions "will help improve the efficiency of the federal authorities' work in the North Caucasus region, which requires greater attention and specific regulation," the upper chamber said.
Khloponin, most recently Krasnoyarsk territory governor, was appointed deputy prime minister and the head of state's envoy to Russia's newly created North Caucasus Federal District by President Dmitry Medvedev on January 19.
Prompt measures taken by both chambers of parliament to adopt these bills will allow the new envoy to "start working as soon as possible, as well as to have the whole range of powers in line with the law," senators said.
The recently approved legislative amendments do not apply to any specific person, but they envision "the possibility of combining the institutions of deputy prime minister and presidential envoy to federal districts in principle."