Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree appointing a new Ambassador to Turkmenistan. Ivan Volynkin will replace Alexander Blokhin on this post. The new envoy has more than 40 years of diplomatic career. He has worked in countries such as Yugoslavia, Montenegro, Serbia, USA, Georgia. The last overseas position he took returning to the Russian Foreign Ministry system was the post of Ambassador to Armenia.
Biography of Ivan Volynkin (source – TASS):
Ivan Volynkin was born on 11 March 1959 in Moscow in the family of a teacher at the Peoples’ Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba.
In 1981 he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR.
In 1981-1987 he worked at the USSR Embassy in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
From 1991 to 1996 – Employee of the Russian Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
In 1999-2002 – employee of the Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco (USA).
In 2003 – an employee of the OSCE mission in Serbia and Montenegro.
From 2005 to 2008 – Counselor-Envoy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Georgia.
In August-November 2008 Ivan Volynkin held the position of Adviser-Envoy of the Russian Embassy in Macedonia.
From December 2008 to March 2013 – Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Director of the General Secretariat (Department) of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
From 21 March 2013 to 6 April 2018 – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia.
Since 4 June 2018 untill present – Director of the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
He has the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
He is recipient of the Order of Friendship and Order of Friendship of the Republic of Armenia.
Speaks Serbian and English. Married, has a son and a daughter. ///nCa, 6 April 2023