ALEXANDER YAKOVENKO, THE OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN OF RUSSIA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ANSWERS A QUESTION FROM THE PERVY KANAL (CHANNEL ONE) TELEVISION COMPANY REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT AT RUSSIAN MFA OF THE POST OF AMBASSADOR AT LARGE FOR LIAISON WITH THE OIC AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS

Unofficial translation from Russian

Question: Not so long ago Igor Ivanov announced that the post of an ambassador at large had been instituted at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be specifically concerned with Islam-related problems. Could you give additional information on this theme?

Answer: Indeed, in 2002 at the Russian MFA there was introduced for the first time the office of an ambassador at large for liaison with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and other international Muslim organizations. V. V. Popov, appointed to this post, is entrusted with the maintenance of contacts with government circles of Islamic countries and leaders of the appropriate organizations.

In December 2002 Popov made a trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He held in Jidda consultations with OIC Secretary General Abdul Belkaziz and handed him a message from Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov. Along with this, Popov had meetings with the leaderships of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the country presiding over in the OIC at the present time.

February 25, 2003