Sergei Lavrov (Сергей Викторович Лавров) was born on March 21, 1950, in Moscow.

Education: Asian studies, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, 1972.

1972-1976: Soviet embassy in Sri Lanka

1976-1981: Department of International Organizations of the Soviet Foreign Ministry

1981-1988: First secretary, counselor and senior counselor in the Soviet mission to the UN

1988-1990: Deputy head of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Economic Relations

1990-1992: Director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of International Organizations and Global Problems

1992-1994: Deputy foreign minister

1994-2004: Ambassador to the UN, replacing veteran diplomat Yuly Vorontsov. Lavrov pushed the Kremlin's agenda with varying degrees of success during crises over the bombings of Serbia, Kosovo and, finally, Iraq. He also very publicly challenged Secretary-General Kofi Annan's smoking ban in all UN premises.

2004-present: Foreign minister, replacing Igor Ivanov (story). Lavrov has led his ministry's efforts to manage relations with neighboring Georgia — most notably during the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War — combat international terrorism, fight U.S. plans to build anti-missile installations in Eastern Europe, and oppose international recognition of a sovereign Kosovo. He was reappointed to the post in 2008 and 2012.

Lavrov has the rank of the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.

He is married and has a daughter.

He speaks English, French and Sinhalese.