MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax) - Russia will appoint its new ambassador to the United States before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky said.
"We'd rather not jump the gun, yet the candidate for our ambassador to the United States will be named shortly. That will happen before the inauguration of President-elect Trump," Slutsky said on Tuesday.
"The candidate will be a highly professional person with a profound knowledge of the United States and ability to effectively convey our stance to the U.S. Department of State, no matter who heads it and work there under Trump, and no matter how they try to keep us out or draw us into demagogic games of any sort," he said.
On October 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin relieved Anatoly Antonov of his duties as the Russian ambassador to the United States and permanent observer at the Organization of American States by his executive order.
Antonov was appointed Russian ambassador to the U.S. in August 2017.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told reporters on October 7 that the candidate for the new Russian ambassador to the United States to replace Antonov was being considered.