27 February 2019
February 27th, Aleksander Shmanevsky, Deputy Director of the First Asian Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry gave a talk to students in the framework of the Diplomatic Module. The lecture was devoted to Russia’s relations with China, North Korea, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea.
The guest was greeted and introduced to the audience by Yuri Raikov, professor at the Department of Diplomacy, who noted that Aleksander Shmanevsky is an MGIMO graduate who has worked for the Foreign Ministry both in the Central Office and abroad.
The diplomat described the main functions of his department and concentrated his attention on the relations between Russia and China, remarking that this country is one of Russia’s most prominent strategic allies. Bilateral relations are at an all-time high, noted the diplomat, and in 2019 there are plans to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Aleksander Shmanevsky described the main spheres of cooperation and noted that the leaders of China and Russia meet up at least four times a year.
The guest then spoke about cooperation with the Republic of Korea and the DPRK, describing the different joint projects being implemented in the Russian Far East and in Siberia. The diplomat also told the audience about his diplomatic experience in Mongolia, where he worked from 2008 to 2012. After a question and answer session, Aleksander Shmanevsky invited the students to undergo an internship at the foreign ministry.
— See the MGIMO web-site for russian version
