Woman to debut as first deputy foreign minister of Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to appoint Eleonora Mitrofanova first deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation, the Kremlin press service reported on Monday.

Mitrofanova was born in Volgograd on June 11th, 1953. She graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and is a candidate of economic sciences.

From 1976 to 1991 she held various posts at the Soyuzmorvneshproekt Research and Development Institute of Seaway Transport. From 1991 to 1993 she was general director of the ECOLEX law company, Moscow.

Mitrofanova was a deputy of the State Duma of the first convocation, was a member of the Russian Liberal-Democratic Party and of the Committee on Budget, Taxation, Banks and Finance.

She was an auditor of the Audit Chamber of the Russian Federation.

In January 2001, Mitrofanova was appointed UNESCO deputy director general on administrative issues. She is an academician of the International Management Academy and a doctor of economics and management.

A high-ranking official of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that as the new first deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation Mitrofanova would handle issues related to the observation of human rights of compatriots and national minorities.

For the first time in the history of the Russian Foreign Ministry a woman has been appointed first deputy foreign minister.