Raşit Öwezgeldiýewiç Meredow (; born 29 May 1960) is a Turkmen politician and

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

who has served as the fourth

vice president of Turkmenistan The vice president of Turkmenistan, formally referred to as the deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, and erroneously (based on the official title, and despite the abolition of the prime minister of Turkmenistan's office) as the deputy pri ...

under President

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (born 29 June 1957) is a Turkmen politician and former dentist who is currently the chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan. He previously served as the second president of Turkmenistan from ...

and his son,

Serdar Serdar may refer to * Serdar (given name) * Serdar (surname) Serdar is a surname of the following notable people: * Can Serdar (born 1996), German-Turkish football midfielder * Emerîkê Serdar (1935–2018), Kurdish-Yezidi writer from Armenia * I ...

since 2007, and the

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

since 2001.

Biography

FM Javad Zarif meets Turkmen Deputy PM Rashid Meredov 03

Raşit Meredow was born in

Ashgabat Ashgabat (Turkmen language, Turkmen: ''Aşgabat'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag, Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30 ...

on 29 May 1960. His father Öwezgeldi was a Turkmen scientist and lawyer. His mother is an ethnic Azerbaijani. Meredow's relatives on his mother’s side live in the city of Mary, where she herself spent her childhood before moving to

. Meredow’s sister and close relatives live in Mary, with his sister teaching at a local high school. In 1977, he entered the

Moscow State University Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public university, public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, a ...

department of law. In 1982, he began as a teacher in the department of civil law and civil process of the Turkmen State University. In 1984-1987, he studied as a post-graduate student at the Moscow State University. He holds a master's degree in law. In 1987-1990, he was lecturer, senior teacher in the department of civil law and civil process of the Turkmen State University. In 1990-1991, he was chief consultant, head of sector, head of department in the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan. Starting in 1991, he worked as head of law enforcing agencies department of the council for coordination of law enforcing agencies under the

President of Turkmenistan The president of Turkmenistan (), officially the president and chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, is the head of state and head of government of Turkmenistan. The president is also the supreme commander in chief of the Armed ...

. Starting in March 1993, he worked as head of the law department in the office of the President of Turkmenistan. Starting in December 1994, he was chairman of the law committee of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan. Starting in 1996, he was deputy director of the Turkmen National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights under the President of Turkmenistan. In May 1999, he was appointed as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. In December 1999, he was appointed First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan. In May 2001, he was elected as Chairman of the Assembly of Turkmenistan. In July 2001, he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Starting in August 2001, he simultaneously performed duties of director of the Turkmen National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights under the President of Turkmenistan. From 2003 to 2005, he worked as Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, a position from which was dismissed in 2005 for "poor performance" of his duties. He speaks fluent Turkish,

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

and English in addition to his native Turkmen. He is currently the longest-serving foreign minister in the world.

Awards

* Jubilee Medal "25 years of Turkmenistan's Independence" *"For the love of Fatherland" Medal *"Gayrat" Medal *"Galkynysh" Order *"Dustlik" Order (Uzbekistan, Order of Friendship)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meredow, Rasit Chairmen of the Assembly of Turkmenistan Members of the Assembly of Turkmenistan Living people Government ministers of Turkmenistan 1960 births People from Ashgabat Foreign ministers of Turkmenistan Vice-presidents of Turkmenistan Moscow State University alumni Academic staff of Turkmen State University Turkmenistan people of Azerbaijani descent