Novak appoints new Russian Energy Agency head
MOSCOW. Oct 19 (Interfax) - Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has appointed Alexey Kulapin to head the Russian Energy Agency, the ministry said in a statement.
Kulapin previously headed the Energy Ministry's Department of State Energy Policy. With his direct participation, key industry strategic planning documents were updated, including the Energy Security Doctrine, and the Russian Energy Strategy. A forecast for the scientific and technological development of sectors of the fuel and energy complex and an action plan for hydrogen power development in Russia were also developed.
The Russian Energy Agency implements goals relating to the scientific, analytical, organizational and technological support of national energy policy.
"Today, the agency has been tasked with becoming a key sectoral center of competencies: to provide quality analytical and methodological support for implementation of state energy policy, assistance in building an effective dialogue between the state and companies of the fuel and energy complex. Raising the status of the Agency in the international arena is also a priority," the ministry said in the statement.
As reported, in early September, Moscow's Basmanny Court, at the request of investigators, arrested Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Tikhonov, who was accused of large-scale fraud. Tikhonov has been placed under arrest until November 8, 2020. The Energy Ministry's Russian Energy Agency was named as the aggrieved party in the criminal case, according to case materials disclosed in court. Tikhonov has not admitted guilt.
