Russia replaces its ambassador in Belarus

Dmitry Mezentsev has been officially appointed the new Russian ambassador to Belarus. Vladimir Putin signed the relevant decree, the website of the President of Russia reports.

Earlier, RBC wrote that Dmitry Mezentsev, a member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, was the main contender for the post of the new Russian ambassador to Belarus.

This information was confirmed by two sources at once: one which is close to the presidential administration of Russia and a source in the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

“Babich had gained the status of special representative of the president, which gave him direct access to the president and his administration. Often, he solved problems bypassing the Foreign Ministry, without coordinating his actions with it, which could not but irritate the Foreign Ministry,” an informed source told RBC.

Russia’s ambassador to Belarus, Mikhail Babich, had been recalled from the post of Russian ambassador to Minsk, Kommersant reported on April 30.

Earlier, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry accused Babich of destroying relations between Belarus and Russia.

Who is Mezentsev?

Mezentsev has been a member of the Federation Council since 2015. In 2011, he expressed his desire to become president of Russia. Then the CEC of the Russian Federation rejected most of the signatures for his candidacy.

For almost three years Mezentsev was the governor of the Irkutsk region. From 2013 to 2015, he served as Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

In 2015, Mezentsev headed the observer mission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the presidential elections in Belarus. At a press conference in 2015, Mezentsev said that Belarus had a “plan” for its future.

“We are leaving Belarus with a feeling that the country has a clear plan for its future. Belarus gives an impression of a hard worker who achieves new results with their work,” Dmitry Mezentsev was quoted by belta.by.

Internet users have noted the similarity of the possible future Russian ambassador to Belarus and Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

belsat.eu

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