Ukraine"s Foreign Ministry has received...

The decree to appoint Zurabov - a former Russian health and social development minister - ambassador was signed on August 5, 2009. But on August 11, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent an open letter to his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yushchenko, saying the dispatch of the new ambassador would be withheld as Ukraine"s policy had deviated from the principles of friendship with Russia.

On January 19 Medvedev instructed Zurabov to start implementing his duties. The new ambassador is expected to arrive in Kiev on Monday.

Earlier Friday, Russian daily Kommersant said Moscow and Kiev could be plunged into a new diplomatic row with Ukraine"s presidential administration, which is insisting the new Russian ambassador"s credentials should not be accepted as they do not contain the name of the Ukrainian president, Yushchenko.

Ukraine"s presidential administration said the absence of the president"s name in Zurabov"s documents is a "violation of all diplomatic norms"

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