Putin assigns 2 regions from Siberia to Far East

VLADIVOSTOK - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday signed a decree on the transfer of the Republic of Buryatia and the Zabaykalsky Territory from Siberia to the Far Eastern Federal District.

The decree, published on the official website for legal information, also ordered the government to align the deeds with the decree in three months.

Counting in the two newcomers, the Far Eastern Federal District now has 11 regions.

The Far Eastern Federal District, established in 2000, is the largest federal district of Russia but only sparsely populated.

In recent years, Moscow has issued a raft of measures to promote socio-economic and social development of the Russian Far East. It set up a ministry for the purpose in May, 2012.