H.E. Mr. Alexander Vasilievich Shulgin is the newly appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is bringing years of diplomatic and ambassadorial experience to his term in The Hague.
Mr. Shulgin’s career in diplomacy began when he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 1973. From this point onwards, he took up various posts in Moscow and abroad.
From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Shulgin was the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Marseilles and Monaco. Afterward, he returned to Russia for three years to be Deputy Director of the First European Department in MOFA. In 2009, he went overseas to commence his first term as Ambassador to Senegal and Gambia. This was soon followed by another term as Ambassador to Luxembourg from 2009 to 2012.
As expected from his postings in Europe, Mr. Shulgin speaks French and English in addition to his Russian mother tongue.
When Mr. Shulgin returned to Moscow in 2013, he resumed work in the First European Department, but as the Department Director this time. Two years later, in 2015, he was designated Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Netherlands, as well as the Permanent Representative of Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
He presented his credentials to H.M. Willem-Alexander, the King of the Netherlands on October 7, 2015
As Ambassador, Mr. Shulgin is determined to promote further collaboration between Russia and the Netherlands in the upcoming years. He expresses that Russia has always considered the Netherlands to be one of its key partners and allies. The deep ties of friendship between the two countries have enabled cooperation in many areas, particularly in trade and investment, as well as culture. Unfortunately, this collaboration has been going through unsettling times, indicated by a significant decline in the turnover of commodities.
This development only motivates Mr. Shulgin even further to foster stronger relations and cooperation between the two nations. This will not be limited to the economic sector, as he believes an extended partnership will bolster Russia and the Netherlands’ capability to deal with new threats and challenges, such as international terrorism. He is optimistic that current obstacles will be overcome to welcome a return to robust cooperation promoting sustainable economic growth, peace, and security.
The diplomatic community in The Hague sends a warm welcome to Ambassador Shulgin and wishes him all the best in his new term.
