Instant Alert: A timeline of Rex Tillerson's relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   A timeline of Rex Tillerson's relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin by Sonam Sheth on Dec 13, 2016, 4:02 PM Advertisement President-elect Donald Trump has tapped ExxonMobil CEO and chairman Rex Tillerson to be his secretary of state, he confirmed early Tuesday. Tillerson's nomination as Washington's top diplomat and the primary conduit between the United States and foreign governments has drawn criticism from those worried about his connections to Russian president Vladimir Putin. The photos below illustrate the evolution of Tillerson's relationship with Putin, beginning after Exxon struck a deal with Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft in 1999 and ending with Putin awarding Tillerson Russia's Order of Friendship medal in 2013. SEE ALSO: Trump's reported pick for secretary of state has longstanding ties to the Russian government Tillerson initially met Putin in 1999 on the Sakhalin island in Russia's Far East, when Exxon struck a deal with Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft. The two men have met a number of times since then, as Tillerson continued building a relationship with Putin through his business interests in Russia. In 2011, Exxon signed another deal with Rosneft for a lucrative $3.2 billion oil deal that would give Exxon permission to develop offshore oil fields in the Russian Arctic in exchange for Rosneft getting stakes in a number of Exxon's US-based projects. Putin shakes hands with Tillerson after their meeting in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Monday, April 16, 2012. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011