Putin keeps key ministers

President Putin of Russia has re-appointed two of his key ministers in a move which correspondents say is an indication that he intends to continue present military and diplomatic strategy.

The foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, and the Defence Minister, Igor Sergeyev, both keep their jobs.

The re-appointments come days after President Putin named a number of senior regional representatives -- answerable directly to the Kremlin -- to consolidate his control over the country's regions.

In another development, the newly-confirmed Prime Minister, Mikhail Kasyanov, says that changes in Russian tax laws will be a top priority.

He said the aim was to reduce the tax burden, and improve the way tax is administered.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service