MOSCOW, February 10 (Itar-Tass) – All efforts of the Russian diplomacy are aimed at making Russia a booming state, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in his greeting on the Day of Diplomatic Service. The text of the greeting is available on the ministry’s site.
“The very fact that over the past decade we have been marking the Day of Diplomatic Service /which was not earlier/, demonstrates the state authorities’ recognition of the input from the diplomatic service in strengthening of the Russian statehood and in settlement of the state objectives, respect for historic traditions and achievements of our diplomacy,” the foreign minister said.
“The current situation in the world is complex. The economic crisis still continues. We see examples of political instability, regional conflicts; there is a clear deficit of trust in international relations.”
“For an effective work under these conditions we need clear objectives, which have been reflected in the order of President Vladimir Putin of May 7, 2012, which is devoted to the foreign policy trend of this state,” Lavrov continued. “Following it, we are having an independent line in the international arena, which is aimed at formation of equal-right bases for collective actions.”
“The collective actions are requested nowadays for settlement of the many problems – crises, conflicts, disputes,” the minister continued. “It is very important – and this is what the presidential order aims us at – to have all actions on a solid base of the international law.”
“Our position is that our government is paying special attention to promotion of the Eurasian economic integration. The Russian diplomacy is undertaking active efforts to establish true and favourable conditions for settlement of these tasks from the government.”
“All our efforts are aimed at assisting in making Russia a booming state,” Lavrov said. “Nowadays, diplomats use the entire arsenal of means and methods, including modern technologies. But the most important aspect is that they are devoted to the Fatherland and are ready to give all their strength for solving the tasks they are facing.”
The Day of Diplomatic Service is marked annually on February 10. This holiday was instituted by the Russian president’s decree in October 2002. Historically, it falls on the date when the first reference to the Russian foreign policy agency called the Ambassadorial Order (Posolsky Prikaz) was made in Russian chronicles in 1549. Later on, the Order was transformed first into the Collegium of Foreign Affairs and then into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire. After the 1917 October Revolution the Ministry was transformed into the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs and was restored as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1946.
At present, the Russian Federation maintains diplomatic relations with 193 states and has diplomatic missions in 146 countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry has more than 10,000 employees, of which 7,000 work abroad.
Graduates from more than 20 Russian institutions of high learning come to work in the Russian Diplomatic Service regularly. The Moscow State Institute of Diplomatic Relations (University) of the Russian Foreign Ministry has been the leader in training diplomats for the past 65 years. Over that period of time, the Institute has trained over 30,000 experts on international relations.