Boris Gryzlov will become Russian Ambassador to Belarus - Interfax

Boris Gryzlov, former speaker of the State Duma, chairman of the Supreme Council of United Russia, will soon be appointed Russian ambassador to Belarus, reported Interfax , citing a source. Gryzlov's candidacy has already been approved by the profile committee for CIS affairs, he will be able to take up his duties before the end of the year, the agency's source said.

Later, the information about Gryzlov's appointment was officially confirmed : his candidacy was approved by the profile committee of the State Duma according to the procedure.

Now the Russian ambassador to Belarus is Yevgeny Lukyanov, who was appointed to the post only in March 2021. To appoint a new ambassador, he must be recalled.

Gryzlov is Russia's authorized representative in the tripartite contact group on Donbass. According to Kommersant, at first he will combine representation with the post of ambassador.

One of Znak.com's sources believes that Gryzlov's appointment may be followed by the creation of a common parliament of Russia and Belarus.

In the spring of 2019, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, according to Kommersant, promised President Putin to “start integration” on the terms of the recall of Ambassador Mikhail Babich, who aggressively insisted on it. Babich was soon recalled, but things did not go beyond words. In December 2019, Lukashenka held unsuccessful talks with Vladimir Putin, after which Russia launched another energy war against Belarus, and the Russian threat became the basis of Lukashenka's campaign in the fateful 2020 elections.