Medvedev appointed a START negotiator to a post of deputy defense minister

03.02.2011 Russian president Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree appointing Anatoly Antonov deputy defense minister, said yesterday Natalia Timakova, the president's press secretary.

"Scope of duties of the new deputy minister will include matters of international military cooperation and arrangement of contacts between Russian defense ministry and foreign military authorities", she said.

Timakova reminded that Antonov had participated in Russian-American talks on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). "As for the president, experience of international negotiations and achieved results will help Mr. Antonov to perform his new duties with maximal effectiveness", added Mrs. Timakova.

Anatoly Antonov was born on May 15, 1955. He graduated from Moscow State Institute for International Relations in 1978, and in 1983 – postgraduate course in the mentioned institute. Antonov has been working in Soviet/Russian international relations system for over 30 years. His recent posts were extraordinary ambassador and director of security and disarmament department.

Prior to Antonov's appointment, Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdiukov had eight deputies - Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov, Vladimir Popovkin, Nikolai Pankov, Dmitry Bulgakov, Grigory Naginsky, Dmitry Chushkin, Tatiana Shevtsova, and Mikhail Mokretsov. Another position of deputy minister for financial affairs is still vacant.