Sergei Kozlov

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Sergei Kozlov as his country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, replacing the present envoy Oleg Ozerov on Monday.

The present ambassador Ozerov was relieved of his post following a presidential decree issued in Moscow on Monday.

Sergei Kozlov had earlier served as Russia’s ambassador to Yemen in 2010-2013. According to the presidential decree, Sergei Kozlov also has been appointed as Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The relevant decrees have been published on the official website containing the legal information.

The presidential decree also dismissed Oleg Ozerov as Permanent Representative to the OIC, according to Tass Press Agency in Moscow.

Ozerov had served as Russia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia since March 2010 and had been Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OIC since September 2011.

Ozerov has been working for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1981. During his career, he had earlier served in Tunisia, Syria and France. He is the author of a number of publications concerning Israeli-Arab conflict, Islam, European integration and globalization.

Oleg Ozerov