The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that it has appointed American actor Steven Seagal as a “special representative” for Russian-American humanitarian relations.

“The task is to promote the further development of Russian-American relations in the humanitarian sphere, including interaction in the field of culture, art, public and youth exchanges and more,” the ministry said on its official Facebook page, according to a CNN translation of the post.

The ministry also said the position is comparable to that of a United Nations goodwill ambassador.

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Seagal became a Russian citizen in 2016. He is reportedly close with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attended his swearing-in ceremony in May.

Ukraine banned Seagal from the country last year, deeming him a national security threat.

The actor has recently faced accusations of rape and sexual assault. He has denied the allegations.

The Los Angeles Police Department reportedly opened an investigation into Seagal over the sexual assault allegations earlier this year.