Yevgeny Primakov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), died on 26 June 2015 at the age of 85. Today the Russian and global community of diplomats, scholars and politicians has suffered an irreplaceable loss. It only remains for us to carefully study the colossal legacy that Yevgeny Primakov has left and to try to ensure that his work stimulates us to new undertakings.
On behalf of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), its members and staff, we express our deepest condolences to Yevgeny Primakov’s family and friends.
Yevgeny Primakov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), died on 26 June 2015 at the age of 85.
Yevgeny Primakov held the highest state posts: Chairman of the Council of the Union of the USSR Supreme Soviet, Head of the USSR Central Intelligence Service, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. But even these titles do not reflect the scale of Yevgeny Primakov’s personality, the extremely high level of his professionalism and the contribution that he made to the development of our country.
Yevgeny Primakov was directly involved in the construction of the new Russia’s state, steering its foreign policy in an extremely turbulent international environment. A wise and skilful diplomat, he was always able to combine firmness with flexibility when defending the country’s interests in the international arena.
He was not only an incredibly able state official but also a brilliant scholar and thinker. His academic papers and political journalism were always read, and will continue to be read, with the interest that is merited only by the most incisive, critical and profound works on Russia’s development paths and role in the modern world.
Yevgeny Primakov took an active part in work to elaborate the RIAC’s development strategy and to determine the priorities of the Council’s work. He took a great interest in initiatives and supported our projects. He worked enthusiastically with young people and chaired the jury of a competition for international affairs journalists.
Today the Russian and global community of diplomats, scholars and politicians has suffered an irreplaceable loss. It only remains for us to carefully study the colossal legacy that Yevgeny Primakov has left and to try to ensure that his work stimulates us to new undertakings.
On behalf of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), its members and staff, we express our deepest condolences to Yevgeny Primakov’s family and friends.
Yevgeny Primakov (1929-2015)
