President Dmitry Medvedev announced a new line-up for the presidential administration and cabinet of ministers Monday, revealing much about what Russia's government would look like now that he has stepped up as president. While analysts warn that these changes may not be final, they signal a balance between the presidential administration and cabinet of ministers, apparently forged to smooth the transition into a type of government new for Russia where President Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will work in tandem. Apart from leveling out the government and the presidential administration, the most notable changes involved power structures and economic agencies.

Although most ministers held on to their posts, a number of key figures were realigned between the presidential administration and the cabinet of ministers. Moreover, a large number of government agencies and ministries underwent reform, with some agencies disappearing altogether and new ones being created.

Putin took some powerful figures to serve under him in the cabinet, but that did not appear to leave Medvedev's presidential administration in a weaker position. Sergei Naryshkin, the influential vice prime minister and head of the government apparatus was appointed head of the presidential administration. Vyacheslav Surkov, a long-standing figure in the presidential administration, was promoted from deputy head of the presidential administration to Naryshkin's first deputy.

Meanwhile, Igor Sechin, the powerful presidential administration head, went over to Putin's cabinet as vice prime minister. Former presidential aide Igor Shuvalov became first vice prime minister, along with Viktor Zubkov, the former prime minister. Notably, the number of vice prime ministers was increased to five, consisting of men who have worked closely with Putin when he was president.

Justice Ministry chief Vladimir Ustinov was replaced by former regional envoy Alexander Konovalov, whom analysts said was one of the few officials handpicked by Medvedev rather than Putin. FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev was transferred to head the Security Council, a structure which had considerable powers during the Yeltsin years. Presenting Patrushev to the council, Medvedev explained that the "role of the Security Council is very important in cases where interdepartmental coordination involving different structures is necessary, where deep analytical research is needed."

As for the head of the KGB's successor, the FSB, Medvedev appointed Alexander Bortnikov, the FSB's former economic security head, in a move expected to shift the focus on corruption. The new president said as much when he introduced Bortnikov to his new colleagues. "Serious attention needs to be paid to fighting racial and religious intolerance," the Kommersant business daily quoted Medvedev as saying. He went on to point out the importance of "protecting the Russian economy from corruption and criminal pressures, industrial espionage and of enforcing guarantees of the right to enterprise and property."

Changes to the government itself involved both new people and new structures. Among the latter, Medvedev liquidated a number of government agencies. The State Committee for Youth Policy, created earlier this year, will be swallowed up by the new Ministry of Sport, Tourism, and Youth Policy. The State Committee for Fishing, under heavy fire in recent years on corruption allegations, was remade into a Federal Fishing Agency, which will answer to the Ministry of Agriculture.

While Alexei Kudrin, a long-standing Finance Minister who is popular with the business community, was reappointed to his post, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade was split - it will remain the Ministry of Economic Development, while trade will go to the Industry and Trade Ministry. Two new ministries were created practically from scratch: the Energy Ministry and the Ministry of Sport, Tourism, and Youth Policy.

While some experts warned that there was more to come, Sergei Markov, a political analyst and State Duma deputy, said the reappointments were decided as long as a month ago, and that he did not expect any more considerable changes. According to him, the chief distinguishing feature of the government is the balance of power between the Kremlin administration and the White House, the seat of Putin's cabinet of ministers.

"The unity of the apparatus has been provided for," he told The Moscow News. "Putin has lent an ear to the concerns of society, who feared that in this scenario a dispute between Putin and Medvedev might be dangerous. Hence, a single apparatus has been created." In fact, he tends to view the two structures as a single team. "We cannot talk of Medvedev's team per se as opposed to Putin's team - this is one apparatus."

According to Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, the reappointments do not entail any changes in Russia's foreign policy. "Putin has insisted on continuity of Russia's foreign policy, and he remains a guarantor of Russia's foreign policy," he told The Moscow News, adding that the reappointment of Sergei Lavrov as Foreign Minister practically cemented the current course.