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

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

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

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

(7 June 2014)
Excerpts from Poroshenko's speech

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

Euronews Euronews (styled on-air in lowercase as euronews) is a European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and covers world news from a European perspective. The majority of Euron ...

(7 June 2014)
Poroshenko offers escape for rebels but no compromise over weapons

(7 June 2014)
Speech by President of Ukraine during the inauguration ceremony. Full text

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' ( uk, Українська правда, lit=Ukrainian Truth) is a Ukrainian online newspaper founded by Georgiy Gongadze on 16 April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukra ...

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

UNIAN The UNIAN or Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News ( uk, Українське Незалежне Інформаційне Агентство Новин, УНІАН, translit=Ukrayins'ke Nezalezhne Informatsiyne Ahentstvo Novyn) is a ...

(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 I ...

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

and second 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, premier 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. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Viktor Chernomyrdin Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin (russian: Ви́ктор Степа́нович Черномы́рдин, ; 9 April 19383 November 2010) was a Soviet and Russian politician and businessman. He was the Minister of Gas Industry of the Soviet Union ...

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 the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...

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 A letter of credence (french: Lettre de créance) is a formal diplomatic letter that designates a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state. Commonly known as diplomatic credentials, the letter is addressed from one head of state to ano ...

to ( newly elected)

Ukrainian President The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...

Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of D ...

on 2 March 2010.

Biography

Zurabov was born on 3 October 1953. He completed his undergraduate degree at the State University of Management in Moscow, and his master's degree at the All Union Scientific Research Institute for System Research under Stanislav Sergeevich Shatalin (russian: Шаталин, Станислав Сергеевич). He held the position of Chairman of the

Pension Fund of the Russian Federation The Pension Fund of the Russian Federation (PFR) (russian: Пенсионный фонд Российской Федерации (ПФР)) is the principal national pension fund in Russia. It is the largest organization of Russia to provide socia ...

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 Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * Som ...

. In an interview with

Izvestiya v Ukraine ''Izvestia'' ( rus, Известия, p=ɪzˈvʲesʲtʲɪjə, "The News") is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Russia. Founded in 1917, it was a newspaper of record in the Soviet Union until the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, and describes i ...

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 Russian folk music specifically deals with the folk music traditions of the ethnic Russian people. Ethnic styles in the modern era The performance and promulgation of ethnic music in Russia has a long tradition. Initially it was intertwined with ...

that was to be performed by the

Cossack The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...

choir during

Russia Day Russia Day (russian: links=no, День России, ) called Day of adoption of the declaration of state sovereignty of RSFSR (russian: links=no, День принятия Декларации о государственном суверени ...

in June 2012. The Ukrainian officials that were invited, however, continued to munch on their food without expressing any protests.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