State Duma Approved Candidacy Of Russia's New Ambassador To Belarus

The decision has been sent to Putin for approval.

The State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots approved on Wednesday the candidacy of Yevgeny Lukyanov for the post of Russian ambassador to Belarus, Interfax reported.

Lukyanov will replace Dmitry Mezentsev. For the past four years he headed the Russian diplomatic mission in Latvia.

This is the third time in the last three years that Moscow has replaced its ambassador in Minsk. Mezentsev was appointed ambassador in April 2019. Then he replaced Mikhail Babich, who had represented Russia in Belarus since August 2018.

The State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs participates in consultations on nominating and recalling diplomatic representatives in foreign countries and international organizations by the Russian president. Proposals for candidates are documented by a decision of the Russian Foreign Ministry or other ministry and are submitted together with documents characterizing each candidate.

The Duma Committee at its meeting holds a discussion in the presence of the nominee and relevant officials of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation and gives its substantiated conclusion based on its results. Such an opinion is officially forwarded to the president of the Russian Federation.

At Wednesday's committee meeting, Lukyanov's candidacy was presented by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.

Commenting on the change of ambassador at the request of Interfax, Rudenko noted that the relevant decision is made by the president. "Each ambassador has his term, which is determined by the president. So the president has decided that way," - he said.