Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information received from the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

Vitaly Churkin, the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Churkin was Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, a post he held from 2003 to 2006.  He was his country’s Ambassador to Canada from 1998 to 2003, and to Belgium from 1994 to 1998.

Mr. Churkin was Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation from 1992 to 1994.  Before that, he was Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)/ Russian Federation.

Mr. Churkin began his 32-year Government career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he joined in 1974.

Mr. Churkin is fluent in French and English.  He holds a Ph.D degree in history and is a graduate of the Moscow Institute of Foreign Affairs.

He was born in Moscow on 21 February 1952.

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For information media • not an official record