Andrey Kozyrev was Foreign Minister of Russia under President Boris Yeltsin from 1991-96.
Andrey stood by Yeltsin against the hard-line coup and flew to Paris to set up a government in exile when the plotters had not failed within a few days. He later took part in the December 1991 meeting of the leaders of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, where the decision to dissolve the Soviet Union was taken. He was appointed as the first Foreign Minister of the new Russia. He pursued a policy of equal co-operation with the newly independent states freed from Soviet domination; a strategic partnership with the US and other western countries; and good-neighbour relations with China, South Korea, and Japan.
In the autumn of 1995, as oligarchy was taking over and Russian foreign policy was turning back to a more conservative course, he was under pressure and criticised as "pro-Western" by some, including Yeltsin. Andrey successfully ran in elections for the northern city of Murmansk and for the next four years represented it in the new Russian Parliament. He left his post of Foreign Minister and this time a public campaign for liberal democracy and alliance with the West fell on deaf ears, and he abandoned politics with the end of his Duma mandate.
Since finishing his political career, he has entered business both as an entrepreneur and as a board member of several international and Russian companies. He is currently chairman of the boards of ITB Bank, Orange Russia, and Swedish/Swiss investment fund 11 Invest.
Andrey's combination of unique political and business experience allows him to speak on subjects like Russian politics and economics, the opportunities and risks of investing in Russia, and regional and global issues.
