Grigory Rapota, former secretary general of the Eurasian Economic Community, or EurAsEc, will be appointed as the presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District, President Vladimir Putin said on October 6, ITAR-TASS reported.

Putin was speaking at a EurAsEc summit in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

Rapota will replace Dmitry Kozak, who was appointed as regional development minister last month. Tair Mansurov, a Kazakh representative, filled the vacant position of the EurAsEc’s secretary general.

Rapota was an employee of the Soviet Union’s State Security Committee, or KGB, in 1966-1991 and Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, in 1991-1998, head of state-owned arms exporter Rosvooruzheniye in 1998-1999, first deputy trade minister in 1999-2000, first deputy industry, science and technology minister in 2000-2001 and secretary general of the EurAsEc in 2001-2007.

The EurAsEC comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The community was set up in 2001. Its stated goals include economic integration and common border security.