MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Republic of Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev, who served in this position for almost two years. The presidential order was published at the official legal information website Friday.
"Relieve Mezentsev Dmitry Fyodorovich of office of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Republic of Belarus," the order says.
Mezentsev was born on August 18, 1959, in Leningrad. Between 1991 and 1996, he chaired the city administration media department. Later, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Committee on Mass Media. Starting in 2002, he served as a Federation Council senator, and chairman of the informational policy commission. Between 2004 and 2009, he served as the Federation Council deputy speaker. Between 2009 and 2012, he served as the Irkustk Region governor. Between 2013 and 2016, he served as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary General. In 2016, he once again became a Federation Council senator. On April 2019, he was appointed an ambassador to Belarus.