Vitaly I. Churkin was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations on May 1, 2006.

Prior to his current appointment, Churkin was Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; a post he held from 2003 to 2006. He was his country’s Ambassador to Canada from 1998 to 2003, and to Belgium from 1994 to 1998. Churkin was Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation from 1992 to 1994. Before that, he was Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)/ Russian Federation. Churkin began his 32-year Government career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he joined in 1974.

He holds a Ph.D degree in history and is a graduate of the Moscow Institute of Foreign Affairs. He is fluent in French and English.

Churkin was born in Moscow on February 21, 1952.

Contact Information

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
136 East 67th St.
New York, NY 10021

Phone: (212) 861-4900
Fax: (212) 628-0252

Email: rusun@un.int
Website: http://www.un.int/russia