Russia's new ambassador to the United States, Yury Ushakov, formally took up his post Tuesday amid renewed strains between the former Cold War foes.
Ushakov, a 51-year-old career diplomat, replaces veteran Yuly Vorontsov, who is retiring at 69. Ushakov is due to present his credentials to U.S. President Bill Clinton on Friday.
His departure for Washington comes on the heels of U.S. bombing attacks on Iraq sharply condemned by Moscow, which last month briefly recalled Vorontsov in protest.
Last week relations took a further blow when Washington announced sanctions against three Russian scientific institutes it accused of helping Iran, which the United States considers a rogue state, to develop nuclear and missile programs.
Washington also threatened to limit launches of U.S. satellites aboard Russian rockets unless Moscow halted its alleged cooperation with Iran. Russia denies the U.S. charges.
"Our relations are going through a tricky period, a complicated period, but nevertheless America for us has the greatest importance and everyone in Moscow understands this," Ushakov said on NTV television before leaving Moscow.
Ushakov will return to Moscow on Monday for a planned visit by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
In a statement announcing Ushakov's departure Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said it hoped Albright's visit would help put U.S.-Russian relations back on a firmer footing.
It commended Ushakov, who speaks fluent English and Danish, as a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience of working in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
But the ministry also expressed concern at what it termed U.S. willingness to circumvent the United Nations Security Council at times in order to get its way.
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