The head of the government apparatus, Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov, will oversee issues of interaction with religious organizations in the Cabinet of Ministers. According to Interfax , such changes were approved on August 10 by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Previously, the work of executive authorities on issues of interaction with religious organizations was coordinated by Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets.

Vladislav Surkov worked in the presidential administration from 1999 to 2011. In December 2011, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, his responsibilities included modernization issues.

In May 2012, Surkov headed the government apparatus. He was entrusted with the tasks of developing the efficiency of the executive authorities, organizing legislative activities and innovations, and interacting with the judiciary and the prosecutor's office.

The appointment of Surkov as curator of interaction with religious organizations was positively received by representatives of leading religions in Russia

“Vladislav Yuryevich is a person with a bright position, an intellectual of the highest standard, a creative personality in the true sense of the word, it is interesting and pleasant to work with him,” said the head of the Synodal Department for Relations between Church and Society, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin.

According to Chaplin, Surkov supervised these issues for many years in the presidential administration, as well as in the government, in the last months of Putin’s work as prime minister.

“As a participant in the church-state and church-public dialogue, I have been communicating with him on the topics mentioned for many years - since the nineties. Sometimes we argued, we had to resolve very difficult issues - the transfer of property to religious organizations, the presence of religion in schools, the military clergy, the law on extremism, and the reaction to various difficult social events, but on all issues there was always a mutually acceptable point of view, behind that I am very grateful,” Chaplin said, expressing confidence that now the work of the government commission on religious associations “will include more ideologically significant topics, issues of a national scale.”

Mufti of the Chechen Republic Sultan Mirzaev also expressed satisfaction with Surkov's appointment. “I received this news with great joy, since I know Vladislav Surkov as a responsible person and a wise politician,” he said.

According to him, Surkov “knows this topic well” and is able to make “the right decisions that will benefit the strengthening of interreligious and interethnic peace in Russia.”

Surkov will oversee religion in the government