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Lavrov vows support for Belarusian candidate for post of OSCE chief

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed support for the Belarusian candidate for the post of OSCE Secretary General, Elena Kupchina, at a meeting on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

"(They) discussed the OSCE problems, including the competition to replace its secretary general," the ministry said. "The Russian side expressed support for the Belarusian candidate."

Kupchina currently serves as Belarusian Ambassador to Austria and is the Permanent Representative to the OSCE. The powers of incumbent OSCE Secretary-General, Italy’s Lamberto Zannier, expire on June 30, 2017.

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