Current State of Russia-U.S. Relations with Ambassador of the Russian Federation Sergey Kislyak

The Trustees of the

BALTIMORE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

present an Address by

His Excellency Sergey I. Kislyak

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 Reception: 5:15 p.m. Address: 6:00 p.m.

Current State of Russia-US Relations

Russia remains a great power, a major actor in international affairs, especially with respect to its near abroad, proximate states, nuclear proliferation issues, counter-terrorism, global energy, and East-West cooperation.  It is critical to a stable international order.  Vladimir Putin’s current aggressive acts in Ukraine working to build a Eurasia zone are extremely dangerous and severely challenge the wisdom of Western leaders.

As we reflect on the important place of Russia in the world order and an international status commensurate with her intrinsic strengths, and seek to understand her, we are extraordinarily fortunate to be joined by the Ambassador of Russia to the United States, His Excellency Sergey Kislyak.

Ambassador Kislyak holds degrees from the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and USSR Academy of Foreign Trade.  He has been in the Foreign Ministry since 1977.  Early in his career he was posted to the United Nations and to Washington; and then assigned to the Foreign Ministry as Deputy Director of the Department of International Organizations.  From 1991 to 1998, he held important posts in the Foreign Ministry as Deputy Director and then as Director of the Department of International Scientific and Technical Co-operation; and subsequently as Director of Security Affairs and Disarmament.  Continuing in this area of specialization, he was posted as the Russian representative to NATO; and was concurrently Ambassador of Belgium.  He rose to the very senior post of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and served from 2003-2008, before assuming his present position as Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States.  He was good enough to address the Council early in his tenure in March of 2009.

It is an honor and great pleasure to welcome Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak to the Council once again.