Andriy Klyuyev

Andriy Petrovych Klyuyev (Андрій Петрович Клюєв), also spelled as Andrey/Andriy Kluev/Klyuev, is a Ukrainian businessman and politician, ranked as 7th "Most influential person in Ukraine" in 2011 by the Korrespondent. He is the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. His brother Serhiy Klyuyev is also politician and businessman. In 2006 experts estimated the joint assets of the Klyuyev brothers to be US$144 million. In June 2009, Klyuyev brothers were ranked 48th in the Korrespondent 's list of Top 50 richest Ukrainians with the estimated wealth of US$227 million.

Early life
Andriy Klyuyev graduated from the Mining College of the Donetsk Politech Institute as a mining automation and mechanization engineer. He also earned his Candidate of Technical Sciences post-graduate degree in 1989.

Klyuyev started working in 1983 as the underground miner of the Zasyadko coal mine, then becoming a foreman at the "Gorki" Mine (since 1984). After the graduation he worked as the deputy chief and the chief of mine transport at the "Bilorichenska" Mine ("Voroshylovhradvuhillya" state holding in Luhansk Oblast). From 1986 to 1991 Klyuyev was conducting full-time postgraduate research at his alma mater.

Business career
From 1991 to 1994, Andriy Klyuyev headed several coal mining-related machine building companies, including "Ukrpidshipnyk" SC which is widely mentioned as his own company.

Klyuyev and his brother Serhiy Klyuyev sold Active Bank in March 2013.

Donbas politics
Since 1994 Klyuyev was a deputy chairman of the Donetsk Oblast Executive Council. From November 1995 to April 1996 he was a Deputy Head of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration, responsible for local development, trade, and consumer goods production.

National-level politics
After a career in Donetsk Oblast, at the time working closely with later and current President Viktor Yanukovych, Klyuyev moved to national politics. On December 14, 2001 Klyuyev was elected the deputy chairman of the Party of Regions. At the 2002 election, he became a member of the Verkhovna Rada for the Party of Regions, working as head of the Energy, Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Safety Committee. On April 19, 2003 at the 5th Party Congress Klyuyev was elected the secretary of the party's political council.

First Yanukovych Government and alleged election fraud involvement
From 2003 to 2004 Klyuyev was the Energy Vice Prime Minister in the First Yanukovych Government.

Klyuyev is described in the press as the Yanukovych’s shadow campaign head in 2004 presidential election, suspected to be "(co)-managing fraud in the runoff election" with the presidential administration headed by Viktor Medvedchuk.

Opposition and Azarov Government
At the 2006 and 2007 parliamentary elections, Klyuyev was re-elected as a deputy for Party of Regions.

On March 11, 2010 Klyuyev was appointed the First Vice-Prime Minister in the Azarov Government, and after the Yanukovych administrative reform on December 9, 2010 he also has accepted the assignment of the Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

National Security and Defense Council
On February 14, 2012, Klyuyev was appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

In October 2012 he was re-elected into the Ukrainian parliament on the party list of Party of Regions; but has turned down this mandate.

Corruption allegations
As the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Klyuyev in 2012 has called corruption in the courts "one of the main threats to national security" and claimed that it weakens the effectiveness of state power and local government. At the same time, he himself has been repeatedly exposed by the journalists as a shadowy oligarch with business links to the President's family, allegedly using his power to secure multi-billion contracts.