Putin named Sergei Sobyanin, his new chief of staff, as a permanent member of the Security Council. Aleksandr Konovalov and Kamil Iskhakov, Putin's new envoys to two regions, were named as regular members.
Dmitry Medvedev, Putin's former chief of staff who was named first deputy prime minister yesterday, remains on the council.
The Kremlin today also said Putin had signed a decree stating that Russia's prime minister will have three deputies, including a first deputy prime minister.
Medvedev and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who yesterday was named also as deputy prime minister, are seen as possible Kremlin-backed candidates to replace Putin in 2008, when he is barred from running for a third consecutive term.
(AP/Interfax/ITAR-TASS)
