MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty weekly that being in good physical shape is vital in diplomacy, and he tries to play football every week and go on a rafting trip every year to stay fit.

"I don’t have much time to rest. However, despite a hectic working schedule, I play football at least once a week," he said, adding that he enjoyed rafting as well. "Every year, I try to find several days to go on a rafting trip down some mountainous river."

Good memory and physical shape are necessary to successfully cope with professional tasks, the minister said.

"Throughout the entire career, me and my foreign ministry colleagues have to deal with large amounts of information. With time, the process of memorizing becomes a habit. In fact, it is like training your memory all the time," he said, adding that "good memory, as well as physical shape, are vital for successfully implementing tasks set by one’s superiors."