Yuri Gorlach appointed as new Russian Ambassador to Greece

Vladimir Putin has issued a presidential decree appointing Yuri Andreevich Gorlach as the new Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Greece. Gorlach, 66, succeeds Andrei Maslov, who has led the Russian diplomatic mission in Athens since 2014.

A graduate of MGIMO University, Gorlach has a long career within the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His previous roles include serving as the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to NATO in Brussels and as the Director of the Ministry's Crisis Management Center. He holds the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, 1st Class.

The change marks the first replacement of the Russian ambassador to Greece in 12 years.