Alexander Viktorovich Blokhin

Alexander Viktorovich Blokhin (Russian: Александр Викторович Блохин) (born 12 January 1951^[1] in Ivanovo, RSFSR, Soviet Union) is a Russian diplomat, currently serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Australia.^[2]

Blokhin graduated from the Ivanovo Power Institute in 1974, and for the next three years worked in various capacities at Fizpribor in Kirov. From 1977–1978, Blokhin was attached to the USSR Ministry of Defence, and from 1983–1990 was the chief engineer of the Shchelkovo Bioindustrial Complex.

In 1990, Blokhin was elected a member of the Supreme Soviet of Russia, and served until its dissolution in 1993. Since 1992, he has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.^[1]

Alexander Blokhin's first ambassadorial appointment came in 1995, when he was appointed at Ambassador of Russia to Azerbaijan, a post he held until 1999. From January 2000 he was the Minister for Federal Affairs, Nationalities and Migration in Mikhail Kasyanov's Cabinet, until October 2001 when the position was abolished.^[1]

In September 2002, he began his next ambassador post as Ambassador of Russia to Belarus, staying in Minsk until July 2005. On 10 November 2005, by decree of President Vladimir Putin, Blokhin was appointed as Ambassador of Russia to Australia; a post he currently holds.^[1] As Russia's Ambassador to Australia, Alexander Blokhin is concurrently accredited as the non-resident ambassador to Fiji, Vanuatu and Nauru, since January 2006, February 2006 and March 2006, respectively.^[1]

Blokhin speaks Russian and English.^[1]

References