<article><p class="lead">Russia's long-serving energy minister Alexander Novak, who oversaw the country's participation in the Opec+ agreement, is stepping down after more than eight years in the post.</p><p>Prime minister Mikhail Mishustin has proposed that Novak move into a deputy prime minister role, and he has recommended Nikolai Shulginov, the chairman of state-controlled hydro-power company RusHydro, as Novak's replacement.</p><p>Novak's departure from the energy ministry is part of a wider reshuffle in which natural resources minister Dmitry Kobylkin and transport minister Yevgeny Ditrikh will also step down. </p><p>Novak took up the energy minister's post in May 2012. He has played a key role in managing Russia's co-operation in the Opec+ production restraint agreements. Before taking the energy minister job, Novak worked in Russia's finance ministry.</p><p class="bylines">By Anastasia Krasinskaya</p></article>
