The Russian parliament has approved Victor Zubkov as the country's new prime minister. The State Duma voted on Friday on Putin's nomination. Zubkov, a former financial crimes investigator, is an unknown political figure and a close confidante of Putin. The pair goes way back, serving together in the mayor's office in St Petersburg. The political elite didn't expect Zubkov to take the post of Prime Minister. Some believe that Zubkov is a perfect choice for Putin if he want to come back and be president in 2012.

Zubkov a long-term ally of Putin.Their working relationship dates back to the 1980s, when they worked in the St Petersburg mayoral office. In 2001, Putin, appointed Zubkov to head the finanical monitoring service, one of the key instruments in fighting illegal capital flight and financial crimes. Prime Minister Resigned Al