On this occasion, we gathered several interesting facts about Russa's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
1. Lavrov speaks three foreign languages: English, French and Sinhalese. The latter is the native language of the Sinhalese people, the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka.
2. The Russian Foreign Minister is fond of rafting: he used to go rafting on the rivers in the Altai mountains, along with his university classmates.
3. Lavrov likes playing the guitar. In 1999, he wrote a song dedicated to his alma mater Moscow States Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). The song later became the university's anthem. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry also shares the Russian Foreign Minister's interest in music. He even has his personal guitar that he takes with him during all his trips.
4. Lavrov is addicted to smoking. He refused to follow the recommendations of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who introduced a ban on smoking at the UN headquarters. Lavrov said that "this house belongs to all members of the UN" and has continued smoking in designated areas.
5. Sergei Lavrov loves poetry and has published several rhymes of his own.