List of ambassadors of Australia to Russia

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Ambassador of Australia to the Russian Federation
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Graeme Meehan (1).jpg
Incumbent
Graeme Meehan
since July 2019
StyleHis Excellency
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderBill Slater
Formation2 January 1943
WebsiteAustralian Embassy, Russian Federation
The Australian Embassy, Podkolokolny Pereulok 11, Moscow.

The Ambassador of Australia to the Russian Federation is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Russian Federation. The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and holds non-resident accreditation for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Belarus. The current ambassador since July 2019 is Graeme Meehan.[1]

Posting history[]

Russia and Australia have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1942, when Australia opened channels with the Soviet Union. This occurred on 13 October 1942 with the conclusion of negotiations between Foreign Ministers Herbert Evatt and Vyacheslav Molotov. The Australian Legation opened in January 1943 (the first Minister, Bill Slater was appointed in October 1942) in the temporary Russian capital of Kuybyshev and the Soviet embassy in Canberra also opened in March 1943.

By the war's end the legation moved to Moscow and on 16 February 1948 was upgraded to an embassy. In February 1950 the ambassador Alan Watt was recalled by the Australian government and was not replaced.[2] In April 1954 with the scandal of the Petrov Affair the embassy in Moscow was closed, but later reopened in 1959. Between 1964 and 1966, the ambassador in Moscow held accreditation as Ambassador to Sweden. Between June 1972 and September 1973, the ambassador in Moscow was accredited to Warsaw.[3] With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991, Australia acted to recognise the new states of the Commonwealth of Independent States on 26 December 1991. As a result, the embassy's accreditation was transferred to the Russian Federation, while non-resident accreditation to many of the new former Soviet republics was acquired. Non-resident accreditation with the Ukraine was consequently included from 10 January 1992, but was transferred to the new embassy established in Kiev in February 2015 following the Euromaidan protests across Ukraine.[4] From 12 June 1973 to 29 May 1991, accreditation to Mongolia was also held by the embassy in Moscow until it was transferred to the Embassy in Beijing. Accreditation for Azerbaijan (since 1991) and Georgia (since 1992) was transferred to the Embassy in Ankara, Turkey in 2011. Accreditation for Moldova was transferred to the Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2019.

The Australian Government established an embassy in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 1995 and appointed its first resident ambassador, Douglas Townsend.[5] The Australian Government announced plans to close its embassy in Kazakhstan in August 1999.[6] According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the closure was due to resource constraints.[7]

Office holders[]

Ministers to the Soviet Union[]

Name Start of term End of term References
Bill Slater 12 October 1942 June 1943 [8][9]
James Maloney 5 November 1943 12 August 1946 [10]
Noël Deschamps (Chargé d'affaires) 12 August 1946 1947
Alan Watt June 1947 16 February 1948

Ambassadors to the Soviet Union[]

Name Start of term End of term References
Alan Watt 16 February 1948 10 February 1950
Frederick Blakeney (Chargé d'affaires) 10 February 1950 September 1951
John McMillan (Chargé d'affaires) September 1951 14 October 1953 [11]
Brian Hill (Chargé d'affaires) 14 October 1953 24 April 1954 [12]
Embassy closed 24 April 1954 22 July 1959
Bill Cutts (Chargé d'affaires) 22 July 1959 28 July 1960 [13]
Keith Waller 28 July 1960 1962 [14]
Stewart Wolfe Jamieson 1962 1965
John Rowland February 1965 1968 [15]
Frederick Blakeney 1968 June 1972 [16]
12 June 1972 April 1974 [17]
James Plimsoll 23 April 1974 4 August 1977 [18]
Murray Bourchier 4 August 1977 August 1980
1 March 1981 March 1984 [19]
Ted Pocock 21 March 1984 September 1987
28 September 1987 May 1991 [20]
29 May 1991 26 December 1991 [21]

Ambassadors to the Russian Federation[]

Ambassador Margaret Twomey presents her letter of credentials to the President Dmitry Medvedev, 18 September 2008.
Name Start of term End of term References
26 December 1991 November 1994
2 November 1994 19 December 1998
Ruth Pearce 18 November 1998 29 January 2002 [22]
Leslie Rowe 18 December 2002 February 2005 [23]
28 February 2005 June 2008 [24]
Margaret Twomey June 2008 October 2013 [25]
24 October 2013 December 2015 [26]
Peter Tesch January 2016 April 2019 [27]
Graeme Meehan July 2019 Present [28]

Ambassadors to Kazakhstan[]

Name Start of term End of term References
Douglas Townsend June 1995 November 1997 [5]
Peter Tesch November 1997 1999 [29]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Payne, Marise (28 June 2019). "Ambassador to Russia". Australian Government.
  2. ^ "NO AMBASSADOR TO MOSCOW". Daily Advertiser. Wagga Wagga, NSW. 8 March 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 12 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Ambassador from Poland due next week". The Canberra Times. 27 October 1973. p. 9.
  4. ^ "Political relations between Ukraine and Australia". Embassy of Ukraine in Australia. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  5. ^ a b Evans, Gareth (May 1995). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  6. ^ Downer, Alexander (7 August 1999). "Changes in Australia's Overseas Representation" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  7. ^ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Kazakhstan country brief, Australian Government, archived from the original on 14 August 2015
  8. ^ "EXCHANGING ENVOYS WITH SOVIET". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 October 1942. p. 5. Retrieved 23 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "MR SLATER BACK FROM RUSSIA". The Argus. Melbourne. 18 June 1943. p. 3. Retrieved 23 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "NEW MINISTER TO RUSSIA". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 November 1943. p. 8. Retrieved 23 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "New Australian Envoy Calls On Mr. Gromyko". The West Australian. Perth. 1 October 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 12 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ AAP (16 October 1953). "Returning from Russia". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 2.
  13. ^ "DIPLOMATS ARRIVE IN MOSCOW". The Canberra Times. 23 July 1959. p. 2. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "News In Brief". The Canberra Times. 29 July 1960. p. 3. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Envoy leaves for Moscow". The Canberra Times. 10 February 1965. p. 18. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Obituary: FREDERICK JOSEPH BLAKENEY". The Canberra Times. 21 June 1990. p. 7. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Our man in Moscow returns". The Canberra Times. 26 November 1971. p. 7. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "Ambassador". The Canberra Times. 17 April 1974. p. 5. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "USSR welcomes new ambassador". The Canberra Times. 14 January 1981. p. 3. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Hayden names 7 envoys". The Canberra Times. 25 August 1987. p. 3. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "IN BRIEF". The Canberra Times. 23 April 1991. p. 10. Retrieved 19 May 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2000), Annual Report 1999–2000: Appendix 19. Overseas accreditations and responsibilities, Australian Government, archived from the original on 15 August 2015
  23. ^ Downer, Alexander (18 December 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment – Ambassador to Russia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  24. ^ Downer, Alexander (28 January 2005). "Diplomatic Appointment – Ambassador to Russia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
  25. ^ Smith, Stephen (30 April 2008). "Diplomatic Appointment – Ambassador to Russia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
  26. ^ Carr, Bob (1 November 2012). "Media Release: Ambassador to Russia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
  27. ^ Bishop, Julie (16 November 2015). "Ambassador to Russia" (Press release). Australian Government.
  28. ^ Payne, Marise (28 June 2019). "Ambassador to Russia". Australian Government.
  29. ^ Downer, Alexander (15 October 1997). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.

External links[]

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