The Kremlin’s former political mastermind, Vladislav Surkov, will be responsible for Russia’s Glonass program, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

Surkov, 47, was named deputy prime minister on Tuesday after 12 years as the Kremlin’s high profile deputy chief of staff. The role was assigned to him as part of his “modernization portfolio” in the government, including education, science and healthcare.

“I would like you to take on such hi-tech projects as Glonass, extending this [modernization] work in education, science and healthcare,” Putin told Surkov, instructing him to “develop this sector, making it more modern and innovative.”

Glonass is Russia’s answer to the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian uses.

The reshuffling of Surkov was widely viewed as a sop to opposition forces who had accused him of being instrumental in the introduction of stricter controls over state media and the suppression of opposition political groups and activists during Putin’s two terms as president.