(Reuters) -Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also served as Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s special representative to the Middle East and to Africa, was relieved of his duties on Wednesday at his own request, TASS news agency said.
Bogdanov’s departure, announced in a presidential decree, took place entirely at his own request for personal reasons, TASS quoted a source as saying.
Bogdanov, 74, graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1974 in the Soviet era and immediately embarked on a diplomatic career as a regional specialist that took him to numerous capitals.
He served as Russian ambassador to Israel from 1997-2002 and ambassador to Egypt from 2005 to 2011.
Under Putin, he served as special presidential representative to the Middle East from 2012, and as special representative to Africa from 2014.
(Reporting by ReutersEditing by Bill Berkrot)
