Russia's Foreign Ministry loves rafting and writes verses

According to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, happiness "is life, when you do your job well and when, in my case, you go rafting with friends." The minister admitted in an interview with Mezhdunarodnik, the student newspaper of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), that no man can be fully happy. "Those who are still full of energy cannot be fully happy because he wants to do or see more," said Mr. Lavrov. "And he must retain the feeling of dissatisfaction."

When asked about his dream, the minister said, "So far, I cannot think of anything else other than learning all the details of my new job. My dream is to finish the work launched by my predecessors - to raise the prestige of diplomatic service in material terms, to guarantee social protection to diplomats and ensure them befitting living standards in Moscow."

One of Mr. Lavrov's best recollections is about the student construction teams. (In Soviet times, students usually went as part of the so-called construction teams to construction or agricultural projects in outlying regions of the country from July to September.) "They were especially important for MGIMO because its students did not hold to their mother's apron strings but were normal people who wanted to know how their country lived."

"We accumulated there knowledge that helped us as certified diplomats to see, when speaking about Russia, not only Moscow but also the Far East, Siberia, the Altai and the Urals. This feeling of the country is incredibly important to me," said the minister.

Mr. Lavrov admitted that he has no plans connected with verse writing so far. "But then, I cannot say I ever had such plans. I started writing verse for birthdays and other dates in my friends' life. These were specific verses understandable only in the group for which they were written, humorous greetings and toasts that were later put to music."

Gradually, some of these specific dedications became clear to broader groups. When I have the inspiration and the time to jot down my ideas, they sometimes grow into a verse," said Mr. Lavrov.

The April issue of the student newspaper carried the new verse by the minister, called "Ambassadorial order."