He now has a new task: Andriy Melnyk, the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, will from now on take care of relations with the countries of North and Latin America as Deputy Foreign Minister.
In his new position as Deputy Foreign Minister, the former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, will primarily be responsible for relations with the countries of North and Latin America. “My main task, which President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyj and Minister (Dmytro) Kuleba have assigned to me, will be to develop an ambitious strategy for Latin America, which is playing an increasingly important role on the world stage,” Melnyk told the German Press Agency . However, he will also be responsible for the USA, for international legal aspects of Ukrainian foreign policy and for Ukrainians abroad.
Melnyk was replaced in October after almost eight years as ambassador in Berlin by the government’s former sanctions commissioner, Oleksii Makeiev. In mid-November he was appointed one of several deputies to Foreign Minister Kuleba. At first, however, it was not clear what area of responsibility he would take on. Last Thursday was his first official day as Deputy Foreign Minister.
The 47-year-old career diplomat became ambassador to Germany in January 2015 and made a name for himself with an unusually tough stance against the German government for a diplomat. In the period shortly before and after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, he called for more support for his country on an almost daily basis and was sharply criticized for his undiplomatic manner.
