Alexander Novak

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

General Biographical Information

• Alexander Novak was born on August 23, 1971, in the city of Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union.
• In 1993, Novak graduated from the Norilsk Industrial Institute with a degree in Economics and Management in Metallurgy. In 2009 he graduated from the Lomonosov Moscow State University, specialized in Management.
• In 1988-1997, he worked at the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant, starting from the position of technician-technologist to the position of head of the financial bureau.
• In 1997-2000, Novak worked at the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Plant from the position of department head to deputy director.
• In 2009, he was awarded the rank of the 3rd Class Actual State Councilor of the Russian Federation.

Political Career

• 2000-2002  - Deputy Head of the city of Norilsk for financial and economic issues.
• 2002-2007 -  Deputy to the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk region, Alexander Khloponin, and the Head of the Main Financial Department of the Administration of the region.
• 2007-2008 - First Deputy Governor and Chairman of the government of the Krasnoyarsk region
• 2008-2012 - Deputy Minister of Finance of Russia.
• On May 21, 2012, Novak was appointed as the Minister of Energy of Russia. On May 18, 2018, he was re-appointed as the Minister of Energy. On January 21, 2020, he was appointed as the Minister of Energy in the new government.
• On November 10, 2020, Novak was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. He oversees the trade-energy complex and electric power industry, as well as the socio-economic development of Russian entities included in the North Caucasus Federal District and other issues related to these entities.
• Since 2012, Novak has been the Chairman or member of the board of directors of various state companies, including: Transneft, Rosatom, Gazprom, Rosneft.
• Novak was sanctioned by Ukraine, the US and the Great Britain due to Russia's military aggression in Ukraine.
• On November 1, 2022, the Prime Minister of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin, appointed Novak as the Co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee for Socio-Economic Cooperation between Russia and the de facto Republic of Abkhazia and Russia and the de facto Republic of the Tskhinvali Region. Novak replaced Marat Khusnullin in this position.

Relations with Abkhazia

• On January 29, 2020, Novak had a telephone conversation with Valery Bganba, the acting de facto President of Abkhazia. The topic of the conversation was the issue of electricity supply to Abkhazia and elimination of energy deficit.
• On March 24, 2020, Novak met with the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania. The meeting discussed the issues of energy supply of Abkhazia and cooperation in the energy sphere, as well as the issues of gasification of the de facto republic and increased prices for oil products.
• On March 17, 2021, Novak hosted the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of the de facto republic, Kristina Ozgan. The meeting discussed the issues of energy supply of Abkhazia and modernization of the energy system of the de facto republic.
• On July 13, 2022, Novak hosted the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of the de facto republic, Kristina Ozgan. The meeting discussed the issues of energy supply of Abkhazia and prices of oil products imported from Russia to Abkhazia. Before the visit, fuel prices in Abkhazia increased as well as electricity prices effective July 1.
• On February 24, 2023, During his working visit to Moscow, the President of the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, met with the Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Maxim Reshetnikov, and Novak. The meeting discussed the issue of cooperation in the field of energy, harmonization of „legislation“, gasification and protection of investments. In addition, the importance of restoring air traffic between the de facto republic and Russia was also noted.
• On May 3, 2023, during his working visit to Russia, Aslan Bzhania, the de facto President of Abkhazia, met with Novak. Bzhania participates in the first Caucasus Investment Exhibition. Development of the electric energy complex, reconstruction of the Sokhumi airport and other issues of bilateral relations were also discussed at the meeting. 
• On June 9, 2023, a Russian delegation visited the de facto republic of Abkhazia. The delegation was chaired by Novak. During the visit, Novak met with the de facto President of the Republic, Aslan Bzhania. On the same day, Novak together with the Minister of Economy of the de facto Republic, Kristina Ozgan, visited the Sukhumi airport the restoration of which is planned. Novak was introduced to the infrastructural possibilities of the airport. In addition, Novak inspected the area surrounding the Moskva Resort hotel in Bichvinta which is under construction, as well as the Pitsunda Resort boarding house and visited the Bichvinta Monastery. He was accompanied by the de facto Minister of Tourism, Teimuraz Khishba. An “intergovernmental” meeting was held on June 10. An Abkhaz delegation was headed by the de facto Prime Minister, Alexander Ankvab.

Relations with the Tskhinvali Region

• On May 24, 2018, within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Novak, as the Minister of Energy, met with the de facto President of the Tskhinvali region, Anatoly Bibilov. At the meeting, the parties talked about cooperation in the field of energy. During the forum, Novak and the Minister of Economic Development of the de facto Republic, Gennady Kokoev, signed an agreement “On the purchase and sale of shares of Gazprom-South Ossetia, and further activities.” According to Novak, the agreement will contribute to the development of the gas transport system in the Tskhinvali region for which RUB 2 billion will be spent.
• On November 7, 2022, in Moscow, Novak met with Konstantin Jusoev, the Chairman of the de facto government of the Tskhinvali region. At the meeting, issues of cooperation in various fields were discussed: investments, social sphere, health care, tourism, infrastructure development, etc.