Putin Appoints New Envoy to Contact Group on Ukraine Reconciliation

According to a published decree, Vladimir Putin appointed Russian Security Council member Boris Gryzlov as the country's envoy to the Contact Group on Ukrainian reconciliation.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Russian Security Council member Boris Gryzlov as the country's envoy to the Contact Group on Ukrainian reconciliation, a decree published on Russia's legal information website said Saturday.

"To impose duties of Russian Federation's envoy to Ukraine Reconciliation Contact Group on permanent Russian Security Council member Boris Gryzlov," the decree said.

The decree came into force after being signed earlier in the day.

Gryzlov will replace Azamat Kulmukhametov as the envoy to the group.

Established in May 2014, the Contact Group aims to promote direct dialogue between Kiev and the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. The group includes representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).