Saratov governor voluntarily quits Federation Council, appoints Abdulatipov to represent him

Dmitri Ayatskov, the Saratov Region’s governor, has stripped himself of the duties of the Federation Council’s (upper house of the Russian parliament) member appointing Ramazan Abdulatipov to be his representative in the Federation Council, officials at the Federation Council say. Mr. Abdlatipov worked earlier as nationalities minister and then minister without portfolio. Mr. Ayatskov said at the November meeting of the State Council (the President’s advisory body) that he was planning to quit the Federation Council, RIA Novosti reports. He explained his move by the necessity to concentrate on solving regional problems and to simultaneously work at the State Council.