Vladimir Putin extended the powers of Sergei Ivanov

Sergei Ivanov, who has been the presidential special envoy for environmental protection, ecology and transport since August 2016, will continue to work in this position for a year after reaching the age of 70. The corresponding decree was signed on January 30 by Vladimir Putin, and the interlocutor of Vedomosti in government agencies does not exclude that Ivanov will continue to work.

Ivanov’s acquaintance says that now is not the right time to write off people who have been working in Putin’s team for a long time. And Ivanov is one of the 12 permanent members of the Russian Security Council (not counting the head of state, who leads this body), along with the heads of law enforcement agencies and other influential officials, this Vedomosti interlocutor notes, emphasizing his status.

The special representative of the president will turn 70 on January 31, and in honor of this, another source of Vedomosti notes, he can meet with his former colleague and leader for many years – Putin. Press Secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov did not respond to a request from Vedomosti about this.

There is nothing surprising in the fact that the powers of this special representative have been extended, either from a legal or a political point of view. Ivanov began working in Moscow as Putin’s deputy in the FSB (1998-1999), after which for a long time his career was further associated with law enforcement agencies: first with the Russian Security Council (1999-2001), then with the Ministry of Defense (2001-2007).

During the informal “race of successors”, Ivanov already worked in the government in the status of First Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the defense industry (2007-2008), and then, after Putin’s transition to the government, in the status of an ordinary Deputy Prime Minister (2008-2011). .). Against the background of the castling, Ivanov moved to the main civilian post in the Kremlin, heading the presidential administration: he led it during the transfer of affairs from Dmitry Medvedev to Putin.

In his current position, says Petr Shpilenok, an employee of the Kronotsky Reserve, a member of the Public Chamber, Ivanov became “one of the inspirers” of the appointment of 2017 as the Year of the Environment in Russia, among his initiatives is the toughening of punishment by multiplying the amount of fines for setting fire to grass, due to which annually burn out huge areas of forests throughout the country. The Special Representative, the expert recalled, is in control of the restoration of the Amur leopard population in the Land of the Leopard National Park.

And although the current post is rather symbolic – especially “in the context of the declining importance of ecology and other ESG, it legitimizes the membership of Sergei Ivanov in the Security Council of Russia,” says political scientist Mikhail Vinogradov. In this status, it is the only member of this body that does not represent any institution and is able to give an external assessment of the state of affairs in the country. However, only he and Vladimir Putin know about Ivanov’s real function in his current role, political analyst Alexei Chesnakov noted.

The current position, which Ivanov has occupied since 2016, was classified as “assistant (adviser)” by amendments to the presidential decree “On the Register of Positions of the Federal State Civil Service”. And although the age limit for being in the civil service is regulated by article 25.1 of the relevant law and is 65 years old, in some cases it allows for an extension of work. In particular, such an opportunity is provided just for those who belong to the category of “assistant (advisor)” and whose work is related to assisting a person holding a public position (which includes the president).

The term of service of such civil servants, with their consent, may be extended until the end of the term of office of the person for whose assistance their position was created.