Grigory Karasin

Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council

General Biographical Information 

• Grigory Karasin was born on August 23, 1949.
• In 1971 he graduated from the Institute of Oriental Languages of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
• On November 11-13, 2018, during his visit to Moscow, the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tskhinvali Region, Dimitri Medoev, awarded Karasin for his “contribution to international cooperation”. Medoev gave similar awards to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov and the Director of the 4th CIS Department of the Ministry, Aleksey Pavlovski. In terms of this visit, Medoev also inspected the new “Embassy” of Tskhinvali Region to Russia.
• Karasin holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Professional Career

• Karasin is one of the most experienced diplomats in Russia. He has been in diplomatic service since 1972. Over his diplomatic career, he held various diplomatic positions in the central apparatus of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and abroad (Senegal, Australia, UK).
• In 1992-1993 he was the Head of Directorate at the Department of Africa and the Middle East
• In 1993-1996 he was the Director of the Information and Press Department at the Ministry.
• In 1996-2000 he was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• In October 2005 he was appointed as State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He curated the issues of bilateral relations with CIS states as well as affairs regarding the compatriots living abroad. His competencies also included relations with both chambers of Russian Federal Assembly, the Russian Orthodox Church and civic organizations, as well as the legislative work of the Ministry.
• On September 10, 2019, Karasin was dismissed under the decree of the President of Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. On August 23, Karasin turned 70 and under the law could no longer hold office in executive branch. In August Putin awarded Karasin with the 3rd class order „For Merit to the Fatherland“. Karasin is substituted by Yevgeny Ivanov, who, on September 10, 2019, was appointed as State Secretary - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under the decree of the President. 
• From September 12, 2019, he represents the Sakhalin Oblast at the Federation Council. At the Council he was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Science, Education and Culture.
• On March 17, 2021, Karasin was approved as the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He replaced Konstantin Kosachev.

Relations with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region

• Karasin was the first diplomat since 2008 August War who met the Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Georgia for Relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze (Abashidze was appointed to the position on November 1, 2012) on December 14, 2012 in Geneva, after the government change in Georgia. On the first meeting, the parties agreed that they would continue direct dialogue on trade, economic, humanitarian and cultural issues. This meeting was foundational to the Abashidze-Karasin format. Since 2008 and within the confines of his competencies, Karasin often makes statements regarding the issues connected to the Geneva discussions and Abashidze-Karasin meetings.
• On September 15, 2008, soon after the finalization of the 2008 August Russia-Georgia War, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, visited Tskhinvali. After the August 26, 2008 Russian recognition of the independence of Tskhinvali Region, this was Lavrov’s first visit to Tskhinvali. Before that, on September 9, diplomatic relations were established between Russia and Tskhinvali Region. Lavrov arrived in Tskhinvali from Sokhumi. Karasin was also in the Russian delegation as Lavrov’s Deputy.
• On April 25, 2011, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, visited Tskhinvali Region. A day after, he visited Sokhumi. Karasin was also included in Lavrov’s delegation, among others.
• In May 2015, the President of the Russian Federation appointed Karasin as his representative in the discussion at the Federal Council about the ratification of the Agreement on Alliance and Integration between Russia and Tskhinvali Region.
• On February 15, 2017, the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, Daur Kove, met with Karasin in Moscow. Topics of discussion included the issues of bilateral relations, certain aspects of cooperation in foreign policy, regional situation and the next round of the Geneva discussions.
• Karasin often states his opinions about NATO activities in Georgia. During one of such assessments on September 26, 2017, he stated that “the military infrastructure of the alliance is being extended to Georgia, there are regular military exercises, the scales of which grow every year and NATO standards are being established for the armed forces and their management, creating serious risk of destabilization to the security of South Caucasus, Russia, Abkhazia and “South Ossetia”.
• On January 22, 2018, Karasin met with the “Ambassador” of Tskhinvali Region to Russia, Znaur Gasiev, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Issues of bilateral relations were discussed at the meeting, including those regarding the refinement of agreements and the legislative basis of cooperation. The parties also talked about the new building for the de facto diplomatic mission of Tskhinvali Region in Moscow.
• On April 24, 2018, Karasin met with the de facto Minister off Foreign Affairs of Tskhinvali Region, Dimitri Medoev in Tskhinvali to talk about the issues of bilateral relations.
• On October 10, 2018, in response to the proposition from the Georgian side for Russia to participate in trainings in Lugar Laboratory, Karasin said no. According to his statement “Russia does not wish to participate in the legitimization of the work done in this research facility”. According to his statement, “Lugar Laboratory is a threat as nobody understands what is researched and produced there and why”. According to his assessment “it is impossible to learn what the laboratory is working on in a single visit”. He also pointed out that according to the statements from Tskhinvali and Sokhumi illnesses uncharacteristic to the region have entered their territories from the Georgian territory. 
• On March 31, 2023, Karasin met with the Adviser to the de facto President, Konstantin Kochiev. According to Karasin, the relations between the de facto republic and Russia will „gain new momentum” in the future, as the said cooperation is based on historical friendship and trust. 
• On July 7, 2023, Karasin was awarded the “Order of Honor of the Republic of South Ossetia.” Konstantin Kochiev, the State Adviser of the de facto President, presented the award to Karasin.
• On August 26, 2023, a delegation of the Council of the Russian Federation visited Tskhinvali. The visit of the delegation was related to the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the de facto republic of the Tskhinvali region by Russia (August 26, 2008). Karasin who headed the delegation was awarded the “Order of Friendship.”