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Newly appointed Economy Minister Vasyl Tsushko will be a strong manager, newly appointed Ukrainian Vice Premier Sergiy Tigipko has said. Kyiv, March 12 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Newly appointed Economy Minister Vasyl Tsushko will be a strong manager, newly appointed Ukrainian Vice Premier Sergiy Tigipko has said.

"You should be well aware that a minister is a political appointment. A minister should not always be a super expert - most of all, he is a manager," Tigipko said while commenting on Tsushko's appointment as economy minister.

Tigipko noted that he introduced Tsushko at the economy ministry on Thursday.

"I could say that the economy ministry is very professional today. I worked with a lot [of their] people when I was [economy] minister. This is a very professional staff," Tigipko said.

"I'm sure Mr. Tsushko will be a strong manager. He knows what the ministry is, he knows what the regional administration is. He'll cope as administrator. As for the rest - he'll be attentively listening to experts and learning some things," he added.

Tsushko became member of parliament in 1994. From February 2005 to spring 2006 when he was elected MP for the fourth time, he was Odesa region's governor. He was member of the finance and banking committee in parliament of the fifth convocation.

In December 2006, Tsushko was appointed interior minister. He worked at that position for about six months. The Public Prosecutor General's Office had been investigating a criminal case in connection with the seizure of the Public Prosecutor General's Office building amid the change of the Public Prosecutor General. At that time, Tsushko was interior minister and the criminal case concerned him.

The Public Prosecutor General's Office has lately closed the case.