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Moscow requests Kiev’s agreement to appointing Babich as Russian Ambassador to Ukraine

On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed former Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov

Mikhail Babich Egor Aleev/TASS

Mikhail Babich

© Egor Aleev/TASS

VELIKY NOVGOROD, July 29. /TASS/. Moscow has requested Kiev’s preliminary agreement to appoint Mikhail Babich as new Ambassador to Kiev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday.

"I don’t know yet (whether Kiev agreed to Babich’s appointment as Russian Ambassador to Ukraine), but agreement was requested," Peskov said. "Necessary diplomatic procedures, including receiving agreement, are underway," he added.

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Russia to shortly appoint new ambassador to Ukraine — Kremlin

On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed former Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov.

The State Duma received a letter today on appointing Russian presidential envoy to the Volga Federal District as Ambassador to Ukraine. State Duma Deputy Speaker Ivan Melnikov said that the session devoted to this issue will be held at 3:30pm Moscow time at the Duma’s Committee on International Affairs.

Mikhail Babich was born in Ryazan. In 1990, he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications. In 1999-2000 he worked as first deputy head of the Federal Agency on Regulating Food Market under Russia’s Agriculture Ministry, in 2001-2002 - as deputy governor of Moscow and then Ivanovo regions. From November 2002 to February 2003 Babich was a chairman of the Chechnya’s government. In 2003 Babch served as advisor to the Russian minister of economic development and trade. In 2003-2011 he was a State Duma deputy from the United Russia party. He was appointed as presidential envoy to the Volga Federal District on 15 December 2011.

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