Profile of Ambassador Andrey Yurievich Urnov

Ambassador Andrey Yurievich Urnov was born on 10 November 1937. He is a Russian diplomat and politician with close ties to South Africa and its struggle for liberation. His interest for South Africa saw him become heavily involved in criticising South Africa’s oppressive policies.

In 1982 he authored and published a book titled South African Policy in Africa. He also co-authored White House and the Black Continent, Moscow in 1984 (co-author); and authored the New Phase in the Liberation War in 1977. Urnov holds a Doctorate in Historical Sciences. He graduated in 1961 from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). He was a Deputy Head of the International Department of the Communist Party Central Committee. From 1990 he worked at the MFA of the Soviet Union and was also an Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the USSR/Russia in Namibia.

He moved to become Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Armenia from 13 September 1994 to 12 November 1998. From December 1998 he became an Acting Director at the Department of Public Relations with subjects of Federations, Parliament and Socio-Political Organisations, MFA of Russia and later became a Director of the Department of Public Relations with Subjects of Federations, Parliament and Socio-Political Organisations, MFA of Russia.

He holds a rank of Ambassador-at-Large at the Russian MFA, where he is heading the Russian workgroup on the Caspian Sea status.