Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Integration Olena Zerkal says that the appointment of Russia`s Ambassador to Ukraine is no longer on Ukraine`s agenda.
”This issue has been removed from the agenda,” she said on Channel 5 on Wednesday.
This was Ukraine`s initiative, she added.
She also assured that the absence of the Russian ambassador would not affect the development of the bilateral relations.
Earlier, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on July 29 that Russia had requested an approval for the appointment of Mikhail Babich, the presidential representative in Russia`s Volga (Privolzhsky) Federal District as Russia`s ambassador to Ukraine. ”There is nothing to say on this issue so far,” he said, adding that all necessary diplomatic procedures had been launched.
On July 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin relieved Mikhail Zurabov of his duties as Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Kyiv, the post he occupied since August 5, 2009. Sergei Toropov was appointed as Russian charge d`affaires to Ukraine.
