On Friday appointed Nikolay Nozdrev, a director in charge of Japan and other Asian countries at the country’s Foreign Ministry, as its new ambassador to Japan, a post left vacant for a year amid strained ties in the wake of the war on Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order naming Nozdrev, who is fluent in Japanese, as successor to Mikhail Galuzin, who left the post in November 2022. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February of that year, has led to Japan imposing economic sanctions against Moscow in line with Western nations.
Nozdrev entered the Foreign Ministry after graduating from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1994. He also served as a counselor at embassy in Australia from 2010 to 2015.
Japan’s ambassador, Akira Muto, already took up his post in December.
Bilateral ties turned sour after Japan took punitive measures such as freezing Putin’s assets. It had also designated Japan as an “unfriendly” country.
Summary
- Nikolay Nozdrev, a director at the Foreign Ministry, has been appointed as the new ambassador to Japan.
- The appointment follows strained ties between Russia and Japan due to the war in Ukraine.
- Nozdrev, fluent in Japanese, succeeded Mikhail Galuzin, who left the post in November 2022.
- He previously served as a counselor at Russia’s embassy in Australia from 2010 to 2015.
- Japan’s ambassador to Russia, Akira Muto, took up his post in December.
