NEMTSOV APPOINTED FUEL AND ENERGY MINISTER.

Russian president Boris Yeltsin has appointed First Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov to be minister of fuel and energy. (Itar-Tass, April 24) Nemtsov has pledged to reform Russia’s energy monopolies. His new appointment will facilitate that task by depriving the energy giants of their previous ability to lobby the government from within its own ranks. Since Petr Rodionov resigned as minister on April 4 the government reportedly approached a number of candidates, all of whom refused the job.

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