Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a new permanent representative to the United Nations.

Putin signed a decree on July 27 officially appointing Vasily Nebenzya Moscow's envoy to the UN.

Nebenzya stepped down as a deputy foreign minister to take the new job.

The post had been temporarily filled by Pyotr Ilyichyov, who was given the job after the sudden death of Vitaly Churkin in New York in February.

Churkin had served as Russia's envoy to the United Nations since 2006, having succeeded current Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. </s> The Kremlin on Thursday announced the appointment of Vasily Nebenzya as Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, replacing the previous long-serving envoy Vitaly Churkin who died in February.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Nebenzya, the Kremlin wrote on its website.

Nebenzya will start in the new post as relations between Russia and the West have hit post-Cold War lows over Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and its role in escalating the eastern Ukrainian separatist conflict.

Churkin, who died suddenly after collapsing at work aged 64, was a well-known figure who had been Russia's U.N. ambassador since 2006. In recent years he energetically defended Russia's policies on Ukraine and Syria.

Russia has used its right to veto at the U.N. Security Council to block resolutions on Syria on eight occasions.

Churkin's successor, 55-year-old Nebenzya, is a career diplomat who previously served as a deputy foreign minister. He will also represent Russia at the U.N. Security Council.

Nebenzya began his career as an attache at the Soviet embassy in Thailand. He previously worked at the U.N. from 1996 to 2000 as a senior adviser to Russia's mission in New York. He speaks English and Spanish, according to the foreign ministry website. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed veteran diplomat Vasily Nebeznya as the country's new ambassador to the United Nations.

Nebeznya's appointment, to replace Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, had been expected for months. The decree formally naming him as ambassador was published on the Kremlin website on Thursday.

Nebeznya had been a deputy foreign minister since 2013. He previously was an adviser to Russia's UN delegation and deputy Russian representative at the UN office in Geneva.

State news agency RIA-Novosti quoted him as saying that in his new post, "I have hopes that the fog will dissipate and settle, and then many of the things for which they are trying to nail Russia to the pillar of shame will appear completely otherwise." </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Vasily Nebenzya as Russia's envoy to the UN. The appointment comes after the sudden death of former ambassador and prominent diplomat Vitaly Churkin in February.Nebenzya, 55, is a career diplomat with almost 35 years of service in the Russian Foreign Ministry. He served in New York as a senior adviser to the Russian envoy to the UN between 1996 and 2000.He also spent five years as Russia's deputy permanent representative in the World Trade Organization. In the early 2010s, he served as the Russian deputy envoy to the UN in Geneva before being promoted to deputy foreign minister in 2013.Nebenzya was nominated to become Russia's next envoy to the UN in mid-April and confirmed by the Russian parliament this month. President Putin signed his appointment to the position on Thursday.The diplomat won the praise of the former director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Sergey Ordzhonikidze, who described his appointment to the post of the Russian UN envoy as a "good choice.""He is a very competent and experienced man," Ordzhonikidze said, adding that the diplomat has a "good understanding of the problems the UN is facing."The official also said he "has no doubts" that the new envoy is capable of "taking a blow.""He is good at repartee," Ordzhonikidze said, as cited by the RIA Novosti news agency."Vasily Nebenzya has a good sense of humor, he is a great conversationalist, well-informed and interested in many issues. I believe he is a very talented and capable man," Ordzhonikidze added.The previous Russian envoy to the UN, Churkin, died in office in February after holding the position for over a decade. He reportedly suffered a heart attack. Churkin was a prominent diplomat who was praised by many of his Russian and Western colleagues. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Vasily Nebenzya as Russia's permanent representative to the UN on Thursday, according to a decree published on the Kremlin's website.

Russian legislator Leonid Slutsky, the head of the State Duma's international affairs committee, said Nebenzya was "the right choice" for the role.

"No doubt that Vasily Alekseyevich (Nebenzya) will manage to competently continue the constructive and professional policy of Vitaly Churkin, aimed at convincing partners in the UN Security Council of the integrity and honesty of our approaches," said Slutsky, as quoted by state news agency TASS.

"Nebenzya certainly works as professionally as his predecessor" and "will adhere to the high standards set forth by him," Slutsky said. Nebenzya has held various positions in the Russian Foreign Ministry and overseas. He holds diplomatic rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. Born in Russia's Volgograd region, Nebenzya graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and has worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1983. Nebenzya was appointed a deputy foreign minister in 2013, and prior to that headed the Foreign Ministry's Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights. From 2006 to 2012 Nebenzya held the office of deputy ambassador to Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations office and other international organizations in Geneva. </s> Starting in 2006, Vitaly Churkin was Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, a man whose intelligence, wit and grace under pressure became admired by his colleagues and even his adversaries.

When Churkin died suddenly and mysteriously on the 20th of February, 2017, Russia and indeed the entire United Nations realised that his were almost impossible to fully fill.

Now however, Churkin’s seat at the UN will be taken over full time by Vasily Nebenzya.

Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya was born in 1962 and began his long diplomatic career as the Soviet Union’s Ambassador to Thailand in 1988. In 1990 he returned to Moscow to work in the Foreign Ministry of the Soviet Union and later of the Russian Federation.

After many previous diplomatic roles including Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nation’s offices in Geneva, Nebenzya took up the prestigious position as one of Russia’s Deputy Foreign Ministers under Sergey Lavrov.

Starting soon, Nebenzya will be based permanently in New York where he will represent Russia at the UN, including from Russia’s position as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

I personally wish the best of fortune to Vasily Alekseevich, in what is one of the most important and demanding jobs in the world. </s> Vitaly Churkin, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations since 2006, died suddenly in New York City on Monday, a day shy of his 65th birthday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has yet to release any details about how Churkin passed away. </s> UNITED NATIONS, Feb 20 (APP): Russia’s ambassador to the United

 Nations Vitaly Churkin died in New York on Monday at the age of 64, just a day before his 65th birthday.

 Churkin, rated as one of the outstanding diplomats at the United Nations, was rushed to a Manhattan hospital Monday morning after suffering heart problems, according to informed sources.

 The diplomat was at the Russian Mission to the UN when he became sick with a “cardiac condition” around 9:30 a.m. (7:30 PM PST), they said. He was unconscious and needed CPR when he was brought to New York Presbyterian Hospital, but despite doctors’ efforts he could not survive.

 The 64-year-old diplomat has served as Russia’s permanent representative to the UN since 2006.

 Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Yevgeniy Zagaynov said about Churkin that he kept working “till the very end.”

 Expressing sorrow over Churkin’s passing away, Pakistan UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi called him a “great diplomat and colleague”.

 “His loss will be felt by the UN family as he was an extraordinary

 diplomat who served his country with distinction and worked with his colleagues in a friendly and cooperative way.”

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres’ Deputy Spokesman

 Farhan Haq said that the UN was shocked by the news, extending their condolences to Moscow.

 Matthew Rycroft, the British ambassador to the UN, called Churkin’s deah the loss of a “diplomatic giant.”

 Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin was a Russian diplomat. Ambassador Churkin

 served as Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2006. Before that, he was Ambassador at Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2003-2006), Ambassador to Canada (1998-2003), Ambassador to Belgium and Liaison Ambassador to NATO and WEU (1994-1998), Deputy Foreign Minister and Special

 Representative of the President of the Russian Federation to the talks on Former Yugoslavia (1992-1994), Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR/Russian Federation (1990-1992).

 Vitaly Churkin held a Ph.D. in history and was a graduate of the Moscow

 State Institute of International Relations. </s> NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) —Russian officials say its ambassador to the United Nations has died suddenly in New York City. Vitaly Churkin was 64.

Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, told The Associated Press that Churkin became ill in his office at Russia’s U.N. mission and was taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where he died Monday. His cause of death wasn’t immediately known.

Churkin has been Russia’s envoy at the United Nations for a little over a decade and was considered Moscow’s great champion at the U.N.

“Tremendous loss for Russian diplomacy,” the Russian Embassy in the United States tweeted Monday.

He had a reputation for an acute wit and sharp repartee especially with his American and Western counterparts. He was previously ambassador at large and earlier served as the foreign ministry spokesman.
Russian President Vladimir Putin appoints Vasily Nebenzya to be the new Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations following the sudden death of Vitaly Churkin in February.