Kazakhstan's leader names new economy minister

ALMATY, Apr 20 (Reuters) Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev has appointed Vice Premier Karim Masimov as the Central Asian country's new economy minister, the presidential press service said.

Masimov, 41, replaced 37-year-old Kairat Kelimbetov, who had been in the post since 2002. The president's Web site, www.akorda.kz, gave no other details.

Kazakhstan's economy has been growing healthily in recent years due to high world prices for its key oil and metals exports. Taming high inflation, propelled by an influx of oil revenues, remains a headache for economy planners.

REUTERS