MOSCOW, March 31 (RIA Novosti) - Former deputy foreign minister Alexander Losyukov has been appointed to oversee international contacts in Russia's state nanotechnology corporation as a board member, the corporation chief said.

In an interview with business daily Kommersant published on Monday, Leonid Melamed said the corporation needed "people with experience in state service," and that Losyukov's task "will be to establish international contacts."

"We have to travel across the world gaining experience," Melamed told the paper.

Nanotechnology, an area of science where matter in manipulated on the atomic scale, has been made a national priority in Russia, as part of measures aimed at diversifying the economy away from oil and gas exports. Nanotechnology is believed by scientists to have potentially far-reaching applications in diverse fields.

The corporation will pursue state policy and commission projects in nanoscience.

Reports on Losyukov's dismissal came on Friday. As deputy foreign minister, Losyukov, 64, had led the Russian delegation at six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program since 2003.

He had also been a Foreign Ministry official since 1968, serving at Soviet and Russian embassies in Afghanistan, the U.S. and the Philippines. He was also ambassador to a number of countries, notably Australia and Japan. The diplomat had been deputy foreign minister since 2007, and also held the post in 2000-2004.