Vladimir Putin’s close associate, Alexei Kudrin, announced on Monday that he was joining Yandex, a major Russian technology company, as the Kremlin tightens its control over the digital sector amid the conflict in Ukraine.
“I received an offer from Yandex for the position of adviser on company development,” the former finance minister said on Telegram.
His role involves “ensuring the long-term development of the company in all markets, including international markets,” he added.
Kudrin, 62, had announced last week that he would be leaving the Court of Auditors.
Russia’s emerging technology sector has been hit hard by Western sanctions against Russia following its crackdown on Ukraine, and the Kremlin is trying to develop a strategy to displace Western giants and their products.
Kudrin was finance minister from 2000 to 2011. He has remained close to Putin after leaving government.
His Yandex appointment illustrates the importance the Kremlin attaches to this flagship new technology in Russia, and its desire to better control it.
Clearly aware of the questions raised by his arrival, Kudrin said Monday that he would do his best to “help Yandex maintain its unique management and technology culture” so that the company remains “independent” and “the best high-tech in Russia.” “.
Yandex is registered in the Netherlands and has subsidiaries in Europe, the UK and the US, but most of its business is in Russia and Russian-speaking countries.
It created Russia’s leading search engine and is a dominant player in taxi and delivery services in most of the Russian-speaking world.
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