Abramovich resigns as regional governor

Billionaire Roman Abramovich, Russia's richest man and owner of the English soccer club Chelsea, tendered his resignation as a regional governor yesterday, his spokesman said.

"Abramovich is still attending Kremlin meetings waiting for President (Vladimir Putin's) decision," his spokesman said.

During his governorship, Abramovich has invested hundreds of millions of dollars and used his close Kremlin ties to fight poverty in the sparsely populated Chukotka region in Russia's Far East across the Bering Strait from Alaska.

The Russian edition of Forbes magazine this year estimated Abramovich's wealth - mostly from oil and aluminium assets - at $18.3 billion.

"The mission is accomplished, Chukotka has been rebuilt from ground up as a result of investment by the governor's administration," the spokesman added.