Andrei Vladimirovich Polyakov (; 14 October 1950 – 3 March 2021) was a Soviet and Russian diplomat. He served in various diplomatic roles from 1973 onwards, and served as Ambassador of Russia to Tunisia and to Rwanda.

Career

Polyakov was born on 14 October 1950 in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, then part of the

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

, in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. He studied at

Moscow State Institute of International Relations Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) (, also known as MGIMO University) is an higher education, institute of higher education located in Moscow, Russia. The institute is run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), Russian ...

, graduating in 1973, and entered diplomatic service. He undertook further studies later in his career at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, graduating in 1987 as a Candidate of Historical Sciences. His early diplomatic service was divided between positions in the central Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in the embassies of the USSR, and later Russia, in Sudan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Between 1999 and 2001 Polyakov was Counselor-Minister at the Russian embassy in Lebanon, followed by a return to Russia and a posting between 2002 and 2004 as Senior Adviser, Head of Section in the Department of the Middle East and North Africa at the

Russian Foreign Ministry The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MFA Russia; , МИД РФ) is the central government institution charged with leading the foreign policy and foreign relations of Russia. It is a continuation of the Ministry of Foreig ...

. In 2004 he became the department's deputy director, being appointed to the

diplomatic rank Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, Seating plan, t ...

of Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Second Class on 7 May 2005. He left this post in 2006, and on 11 April 2006 was appointed ambassador of Russia to Tunisia. He presented his credentials on 29 June 2006, and remained ambassador until 14 January 2011. During this time he was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary First Class on 11 March 2009. On 22 May 2013 Polyakov was appointed ambassador of Russia to Rwanda, a post he held until his retirement on 31 October 2017. He had been promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary towards the end of the assignment, on 10 February 2016. During his time as he helped arranged the visit of Rwandan

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

Louise Mushikiwabo Louise Mushikiwabo (born May 22, 1961) is the fourth and current Secretary General of the ''Organisation internationale de la Francophonie''. She previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda from 2009 to 2018. S ...

, to Russia. This was the first time a Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs had visited the country. Polyakov died on 3 March 2021. He was married, with two sons. Over his career he had received several awards and honours, including the

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

in 1982, and the

Decoration For Impeccable Service The Decoration "For Impeccable Service" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation aimed at recognising impeccable civilian or military service to the state beyond the scope of normal long service medals. Award History The Decoration " ...

Thirty Years on 9 February 2011. His obituary by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described him as "an experienced and highly professional diplomat who made a great contribution to the development of bilateral relations, the implementation of the course pursued by Russia to strengthen diverse ties with the countries of the Middle East and Africa, a reliable comrade and mentor."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polyakov, Andrei 1950 births 2021 deaths Diplomats from Moscow Moscow State Institute of International Relations alumni Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation alumni Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (Russian Federation) Ambassadors of Russia to Tunisia Ambassadors of Russia to Rwanda