Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Alexander Yefimov as Russian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Syria. The president’s order was published on the official portal of legal information.

Until October 11 Yefimov had served as Russian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

According to information on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website, Yefimov was born in 1958. He graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He speaks Arabic and English.

Yefimov has great experience of work in the Foreign Ministry’s central office and abroad, including in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Jordan. He has worked as Russian Ambassador to the UAE since April 2013.

By the other order Putin released Alexander Kinshchak from the position of Russian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Syria. He has worked on this post since December 2014.