Alexei Nikolsky/Russian presidential press service/TASS

The ex-head of Russian Railways made this decision after a discussion with “friends, colleagues, management”

Vladimir Yakunin, who resigned as head of Russian Railways at the end of August, announced his intention to ask not to be delegated to the Federation Council from the Kaliningrad region, Interfax reports on Tuesday, September 15.

“I consulted with my friends, colleagues, management, I was supported in this decision, and today I want to appeal to the newly elected governor of the Kaliningrad region (Nikolai Tsukanov) with a request not to appoint me as a representative of the Kaliningrad region in the Federation Council,” said the former head of Russian Railways.

Yakunin recalled that he worked for more than 20 years in organizations such as the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, the Center for National Glory, and participated in the Dialogue of Civilizations forum. According to him, the knowledge gained pushes him “to certain decisions.”

“I believe that only there can a person bring maximum benefit to society, and to himself, when he uses the set of knowledge and experience that is characteristic of him,” explained the ex-president of Russian Railways.

According to Yakunin, he intends to concentrate on expert scientific and public activities, “primarily in the field of international relations, international relations and intercivilizational dialogue between societies.”

Nikolai Tsukanov, who won the election for governor of the Kaliningrad region on September 13, said that Yakunin had already called him and asked not to appoint him to the Federation Council. “He explained that he faces many tasks and he cannot now represent the region in the Federation Council,” Tsukanov told RBC , noting that he had not yet decided which of the two remaining candidates - Kaliningrad Mayor Alexander Yaroshuk and current senator Oleg Tkach - will represent the regional government in the Federation Council.

On August 17, Tsukanov included Vladimir Yakunin in his list of candidates for senators from the region. Tsukanov said that he had received consent from the head of Russian Railways to work in the Federation Council.

Yakunin himself then stated that he was offered to “continue working to protect the interests of the country’s citizens, including workers in the railway industry,” as a senator. The final personnel decisions will be made by the country's leadership, he emphasized. On August 18, President Vladimir Putin announced that Yakunin himself had decided to become a senator.

On August 20, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Vladimir Yakunin from the post of president of Russian Railways, which he had held since 2005. the new head of Russian Railways . became Oleg Belozerov, who until then held the post of First Deputy Minister of Transport,

Yakunin refused to become a senator