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Anatoly Chubais
Photo: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA / REUTERS
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin loses a veteran confidante: Former reformer Anatoly Chubais has given up his post as Putin's special envoy for relations with international organizations.
This was confirmed by a spokesman for Chubais, who belonged to the liberal camp, on Wednesday in Moscow.
According to a report in the daily newspaper "RBK", the 66-year-old is said to be leaving Russia with his wife and wanting to travel to Turkey.
When the Reuters news agency wanted to ask Chubais personally about the reasons for his resignation, he hung up.
There was no official reaction from the state.
Chubais is the most senior figure in Russia to resign since the invasion of Ukraine.
He took over the position of special representative in December 2020.
Chubais was deputy head of government under the former head of state Boris Yeltsin and, as head of the presidential administration, drove the privatization of the economy.
He later managed important companies for many years.
Critics accuse Chubais of allowing individual entrepreneurs to amass great fortunes while millions of Russians lived in dire poverty.
Chubais also headed a liberal opposition party and headed the state technology company Rusnano.
Chubais had also recently campaigned for a restructuring of the economy and was considered one of the most prominent liberals in the government environment.
as/dpa/Reuters
