As APA reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Istaratov as Ambassador of plenipotentiary and extraordinary to Azerbaijan by the order #521 May 29.

Istratov was born in 1954, historian, worked for North America Department deputy head of Russian Foreign Ministry in 1996.

Since September 2004 the Ambassador post of Russia to Azerbaijan was vacant, during this term diplomatic mission was headed by Charge d'affaires Pyotr Burdikin.