Russia's Security Council secretary resigns -Ifax

MOSCOW, July 9 (Reuters) Russia's Igor Ivanov has offered his resignation as secretary of the Security Council, a powerful body chaired by President Vladimir Putin that coordinates national security policy, Interfax news agency said today.

Ivanov, who has been the council's secretary since stepping down as foreign minister in 2004, put in his resignation two weeks ago, the agency said, quoting an unnamed source on the council.

A Kremlin decision on whether to accept his resignation was expected by the end of the week. ''(Ivanov) does not intend to stay in government but plans to go into research and teaching.'' There was no word on a replacement. Ivanov's office could not immediately be reached for comment.

As secretary of the council, Ivanov was one of the public faces of Kremlin foreign policy and acted as a troubleshooter for Putin.

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