Russian President appointed a Duma deputy as his envoy to deal with the Kaliningrad region's problems

Russian president Vladimir Putin has appointed Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Duma international committee, as his special envoy to deal with the issues related to the Kaliningrad region (the Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea coast) in connection with the EU expansion.

RIA Novosti was informed of this Saturday by the Russian president's press service.

The presidential decree, "On Special Envoy of the Russian Federation's President" reads, in particular, that the Russian president's special envoy "cooperates with the European Union, EU member countries and other states concerned on the problems of the Kaliningrad region connected with the EU expansion." When Poland and Lithuania join the European Union, the Kaliningrad region will be separated from the rest of Russia by the Schengen zone.