Lukashenko reshuffles key positions in government

(Patria) - Authoritarian Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko carried out a reshuffle of key positions in the government and presidential administration yesterday, RSE reports.

The state news agency BelTA quoted Lukashenko as saying that "efficiency must be increased" and bureaucracy reduced.

The new head of Lukashenko's presidential administration is former ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoy.

The position had been vacant since March after Igor Sergeenko entered the House of Representatives and became its chairman.

Lukashenko also dismissed the first deputy head of the presidential administration, the foreign minister, the deputy prime minister, and the ministers of agriculture and industry.

He appointed Natalia Piatkevich as first deputy head of the administration, and Maxim Ryzhenkov as foreign minister.

He replaced Sergei Oleinik, who had held the position of foreign minister since December 13, 2022, following the sudden death of Vladimir Makei on November 26, 2022.

Yury Shuleika was appointed as the new deputy prime minister for agriculture, and Alexander Yefimov became minister of industry. All those appointed are under international sanctions.