Russian MPs Claim ‘Procedure Violation’ When Appointing New Ambassador To Minsk

The publication of the decree before it is discussed with parliamentarians is a “violation of the procedure”.

The State Duma of the Russian Federation said that the decree appointing Dmitry Mezentsev to the post of the Russian Ambassador in Minsk was published without discussion of the candidature with parliamentarians. The candidacy of the Ambassador in Minsk has been approved by the CIS Affairs Committee, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Dmitry Novikov told RBC.

Head of the CIS affairs committee Leonid Kalashnikov, in a conversation with journalists, noted that the procedure is to hold consultations with parliamentarians on the candidacy of an Ambassador. According to him, the publication of the decree before the discussion is “violation of the procedure”.

RBC sent questions about consultations on the new ambassador to Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee. Earlier, a source in this committee said that there were no meetings on Mezentsev’s candidacy.

There has been no agrement (the consent from Belarus to accept the new ambassador - edit.), it is only to be requested. This should be preceded by the session of the Russian Foreign Ministry board, a source close to the Kremlin said. The Foreign Ministry board must approve the candidacy for the post of the Ambassador, he explained.

The law regulating the powers and procedure for appointing ambassadors states: “A citizen of the Russian Federation is appointed to the state post of the Russian Federation Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (...) at the suggestion of the Federal Minister - the head of the authorized federal executive body of the President of the Russian Federation after consulting with the relevant committees or commissions of the chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation ".