Sources at Adnkronos confirm the changeover between Razov and Paramonov, expected in a month in the capital
The new Russian ambassador to Rome could arrive as early as a month. Informed sources tell Adnkronos, confirming that thealternation between Sergey Razov and Alexei Vladimorovic Paramonov – which should be officially announced by Moscow next week with a decree from the president – has been decided for months, with the Italian government having already given its informal assent to the approval.
Paramonov, born in 1962, former Russian consul in Milan, director of the Europe department of the Foreign Ministry, had risen to the headlines a year ago, for having released to the Ria Novosti news agency, less than a month before the start of the war , an interview in which he spoke of “irreversible consequences” in relations between Rome and Moscow if Italy adopted other sanctions against Russia. Among other things, defining the then Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini as a “hawk” and the “inspirer” of the anti-Russian campaign in Italy.
Awarded by our country with the honor of commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia, later revoked, Paramonov was actually indicated last year as the next Russian ambassador to the Holy See, in place of Alexander Avdeev, who however allegedly ‘resisted ‘ at the changeover. Also by virtue of the very intense relations that he continues to maintain in the Vatican: it was to him, a former Minister of Culture, that the Pope went on 25 February a year ago, just after the invasion of Ukraine to express his “concern ” of him.
And in fact Paramonov, scrolling through his curriculum vitae, rather than the Vatican he is an expert in Italy, underlines our diplomacy, which among other things hopes for a loosening of the links on visas for our officials waiting to go to Moscow, to strengthen the embassy run by Giorgio Starace, which currently has just five diplomats, following last year’s expulsions. A 1986 graduate of the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), he entered diplomacy two years later. Since 2007 he has always dealt with Europe: first as deputy director of the competent department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then from 2008 to 2013 he was consul general in Milan, then since 2015 he has been director of the same department.
The new ambassador will take the place of Sergey Razov, who took office at Villa Abamelek on 6 May 2013 and who in recent months has not spared harsh attacks on Italy and on the two governments that preceded it, lastly accusing the Minister of Guido Crosetto defense of “demonizing” Russia. Those who know him maintain that from the outset he was not the right choice for Rome, he who came from Beijing, where he had been ambassador for eight years, imbued with a mentality that was perhaps a little too assertive. He turned seventy in January, given his ‘lineage’ he will hardly retire: a general directorate of the Foreign Ministry or a position as deputy minister is probably already ready for him, a role he had already held from 2002 to 2005.
Source-www.adnkronos.com