OREANDA-NEWS  Cecilia Piccione, deputy head of the secretariat of the Foreign Minister, has become a candidate for the post of the new Italian ambassador to Russia, she will be the first woman in this post, il Foglio newspaper reported on Thursday, citing diplomatic sources.

The decision to appoint Piccione to replace Giorgio Starace, who completed his mission, was "formalized" during the conference of Italian ambassadors to the country's Foreign Ministry this week.

Starace has served as Ambassador to Russia since October 2021. Piccione in the past headed the diplomatic mission in Vietnam and now works as deputy head of the secretariat of the Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani.