Mikhail Yuryevich Zurabov (, ) is a Russian politician. He was the ambassador of Russia to UkraineUkraine president vows not to give up Crimea

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(7 June 2014)
Ukraine's Poroshenko sworn in and sets out peace plan

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(7 June 2014)
Excerpts from Poroshenko's speech

(7 June 2014)
Ukraine’s President Poroshenko pushes for peace at inauguration
,

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(7 June 2014)
Poroshenko offers escape for rebels but no compromise over weapons
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(7 June 2014)
Speech by President of Ukraine during the inauguration ceremony. Full text

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(7 June 2014) (2009–2016Ukraine's MFA: Appointment of Russia's ambassador to Ukraine no longer on agenda

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(4 August 2016)) and former Minister of Health and Social Development (in

Mikhail Fradkov Mikhail Yefimovich Fradkov ( rus, Михаи́л Ефи́мович Фрадко́в, p=mʲɪxɐˈil jɪˈfʲiməvʲɪtɕ frɐtˈkof; born 1 September 1950) is a Russian politician who served as Prime Minister of Russia from 2004 to 2007. An Ind ...

first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and

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cabinets. He held the post of Minister of Health and Social Development from 9 March 2004 to 24 September 2007. On 13 August 2009, Zurabov was appointed ambassador of Russia to Ukraine, replacing former

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

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in that role.Dmitry Medvedev signed the Executive Order appointing Mikhail Zurabov Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Ukraine
, Kremlin.ru (13 August 2009) However, on 11 August 2009,

Russian President The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the Federal State Council and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces. I ...

Medvedev postponed the sending of a new Russian ambassador to Ukraine "in view of the anti-Russian position of the current Ukrainian authorities". Zurabov presented his diplomatic credentials to ( newly elected)

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Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych (born 9 July 1950) is a Ukrainian politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014. He also served as the prime minister of Ukraine several times between 2002 and 2007 and was a member of t ...

on 2 March 2010.

Biography

Zurabov was born on 3 October 1953. He completed his undergraduate degree at the

State University of Management The State University of Management (SUM, ) is a public university in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1919. Its rector is Ivan Vasilyevich Lobanov. There are more than 250 professors and 12 academics and members of the Russian Academy of Scien ...

in Moscow, and his master's degree at the All Union Scientific Research Institute for System Research under Stanislav Shatalin. He held the position of Chairman of the

Pension Fund of the Russian Federation The Pension Fund of the Russian Federation (PFR) () is the principal national pension fund in Russia. It is the largest organization of Russia to provide socially important public services to Russian citizens. Founded December 22, 1990 decision ...

from 1999 to 2004. Zurabov is married to Yulia. They have a biological daughter Anastasia, and one grandson. In 2006 they adopted a young boy.

Relations with Ukraine

Zurabov speaks Russian and Ukrainian. In an interview with Izvestiya v Ukraine in June 2010 Zurabov, as an ambassador to Ukraine, asserted that Russians and Ukrainians are a single nation with "some nuances, peculiarities, but a single nation". Zurabov allowed himself to announce the Ukrainian anthem "Ukraine has not perished" as a Russian folk song that was to be performed by the

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

choir during Russia Day in June 2012.The Russian ambassador called the Ukrainian anthem a Russian folk song
''Rupor.info'' 8 June 2012

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zurabov, Mikhail Medvedev Administration personnel Ambassadors of Russia to Ukraine 1953 births Living people Diplomats from Saint Petersburg Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Russian Federation) Pro-Russian people of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Health ministers of Russia State University of Management alumni Politicians from Saint Petersburg Advisers to the president of Russia