Igor Ivanov

Igor Ivanov is a Russian statesman, diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, former Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation ad former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (1989). Ivanov has a PhD in History (2005) and teaches at MGIMO University.

Born on September 23, 1945 in Moscow, Ivanov graduated from the Maurice Thorez Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages (Moscow State Linguistic University) in 1969. He speaks Spanish and English.

After graduation he worked as a researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR in 1973 and was in charge of Soviet relations with Spain. He worked at the First European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affaires of the USSR and the USSR Embassy in Spain. In 1978-1983 Ivanov was Counsellor and Minister-Counsellor to the USSR Embassy in Spain. Between 1983 and 1991 he was undersecretary of the USSR Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Chief and later Chief of the foreign ministry’s General Secretariat. In 1991-1993 Ivanov was USSR Ambassador and later Russian Federation Ambassador to Spain. Between December 1993 and September 1998 he was the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Ivanov was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in September 1998. From March 9, 2004 through July 17, 2007 he was Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

He attended the United Nations General Assembly and was a member of diverse international conferences at various times. He was also Co-chairman of the Daytona peace conference on Bosnia (U.S.). Ivanov actively opposed the NATO invasion of Yugoslavia (1999) and the U.S. military operation in Iraq (2003).

In the mid- 2007 he retired from political life and devoted himself to teaching and research. Ivanov is a member of the Supervisory Board of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe.

Ivavnov is the author of numerous articles and monographs published in Russia and abroad.

He has received Russian and foreign orders and medals. Ivanov is married and has a daughter.