MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax) - Nikolai Patrushev, who has been appointed an aide to the Russian president, will be in charge of the shipbuilding industry, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"Nikolai Patrushev has also become a presidential aide. He will coordinate shipbuilding issues. It will be among the main areas he will oversee. There may be other areas as well," Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.
President Vladimir Putin earlier signed decrees on appointments to high-ranking posts in the presidential executive office, appointing former Russian Security Council Secretary Patrushev as his aide.
Asked why Patrushev has been put in charge of this area and whether it somewhat narrows down his scope of responsibilities, Peskov said, "This is of course a slightly different field, but this is an absolutely strategic area, a huge area, a challenging one. Therefore, Nikolai Patrushev's vast experience will definitely play a big role there."
"[Igor] Levitin, who has become a presidential aide and special representative on international transport cooperation, will mainly focus on the North-South international transport route and the Northern Sea Route," Peskov said.
Ruslan Edelgeriyev, who has also been appointed an aide to the president, will continue to oversee the environment and climate issues, he said.