Dmitry Mezentsev

Dmitry Mezentsev
Дмитрий Мезенцев
Mezentsev in 2018
General Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 March 2021
Preceded by	Grigory Rapota
Ambassador of Russia to Belarus
In office 30 April 2019 – 19 March 2021
Preceded by	Mikhail Babich
Succeeded by	Yevgeny Lukyanov [ru]
Russian Federation Senator from Sakhalin Oblast
In office 31 December 2015 – 30 April 2019
Preceded by	Zhanna Ivanova
Succeeded by	Grigory Karasin
Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
In office 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2015
Preceded by	Muratbek Imanaliyev
Succeeded by	Rashid Alimov
5th Governor of Irkutsk Oblast
In office 8 June 2009 – 18 May 2012
Preceded by	Igor Yesipovsky
Succeeded by	Sergey Yeroshchenko
Personal details
Born	(1959-08-18) 18 August 1959 (age 65) Leningrad, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
Political party	United Russia

Dmitry Fyodorovich Mezentsev (Russian: Дми́трий Фёдорович Ме́зенцев; born 18 August 1959)^[1] is a Russian politician and diplomat serving since 2021 as the State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. Previously he was Ambassador of Russia to Belarus (2019–2021), Senator from Sakhalin Oblast (2015–2019), Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (2013–2015) and Governor of Irkutsk Oblast (2009–2012).^[2][3]

In 2012 Mezentsev ran for President of Russia, but was rejected by the Central Election Commission.^[4]

2012 presidential campaign

Main article: 2012 Russian presidential election

Mezentsev tried to run for President of Russia in 2012. On 14 December 2011, the trade Union Committee of the East Siberian railway nominated Dmitry Mezentsev as a presidential candidate. His candidacy was supported by the then President of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin.^[5] However, the CEC rejected Mezentsev's candidacy, as after checking the signatures collected in his support, too many signatures were not recognized as valid.^[6]

On 19 March 2021, Mezentsev was relieved of his post as ambassador to Belarus by presidential decree.^[7] On the same day President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko appointed Mezentsev State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, replacing Grigory Rapota.^[8]

Awards

• Order For Merit to the Fatherland 4th class
• Order of Honour
• Medal "For Construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway" (USSR)
• Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honour (France)

References

1. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Dmitry Mezentsev". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
2. "Путин назначил Дмитрия Мезенцева новым послом России в Белоруссии - ТАСС". TACC. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
3. Pravda, Alex (2005). Leading Russia--Putin in perspective: essays in honour of Archie Brown. Oxford University Press. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-19-927614-1.
4. "ЦИК официально отказал Г.Явлинскому и Д.Мезенцеву". РБК (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-11-14.
5. "По шпалам выборов". ВЗГЛЯД.РУ (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-11-14.
6. "ЦИК: Мезенцев не будет участвовать в президентских выборах". vesti.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-11-14.
7. "Путин освободил Дмитрия Мезенцева от должности посла в Белоруссии" [Putin has dismissed Dmitry Mezentsev from the post of Ambassador to Belarus]. TASS. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
8. "Лукашенко назначил Мезенцева госсекретарем Союзного государства" [Lukashenko appoints Mezentsev as Secretary of State of the Union State]. Kommersant. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.