He helped Germany unify

Yesterday, the famous diplomat Yuli Aleksandrovich Kvitsinsky died at the age of 74. Back in early February, the Vremya Novostey newspaper addressed his assistants in the State Duma, where he was deputy chairman of the committee on international affairs. We wanted to publish an interview with him about how negotiations on nuclear disarmament took place between Moscow and Washington. In the 1980s, Yuli Aleksandrovich headed the Soviet delegation at these negotiations in Geneva. We were told that he was ill, but as soon as he felt better, he would receive our correspondent. We waited, but...

Yuliy Kvitsinsky came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after graduating from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). His diplomatic career began as a translator. He spoke German, Norwegian, English, French and Spanish. Soon his name became known to everyone who followed the development of Soviet-German relations. In the late 1980s, he was the USSR Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. His participation in the development of documents related to the unification of Germany today serves as an example of his deep knowledge of this country, its history and politics. In 1990-1991, Yuliy Kvitsinsky was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, then again Ambassador - this time to Norway. The Russian Foreign Ministry and many foreign embassies yesterday expressed condolences to the diplomat's family.

Boris KAIMAKOV