On February 8, 2024, on Science Day, the Primakov Center held a meeting with the Director of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova. The event was supported by the Department of External Relations of the Administration of the Governor of the Samara Region.
Maria Zakharova, the Director of the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holds the rank of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Russia and is one of the most popular Russian diplomats. In 2015, she made history by becoming the first official spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, Maria Zakharova shared memories of her visit to the Samara Region, her student life, education, and work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In her address, Maria Zakharova touched upon the themes of love for the Motherland, knowledge of the country’s history, and the importance of her contribution to overall development:
“It is important to know your history, know your culture, literature. And most importantly, you need to love all of this!”
Maria Vladimirovna has been a representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a long time and conducts weekly briefings for journalists. She also explained the preparation process for briefings and discussed the materials that were relevant during their conduct.
During the meeting, students had the opportunity to ask questions on any topic of interest.
Questions ranged from whether future games could become an alternative to the Olympic movement, to the necessary skills for diplomats in critical moments, and what aspects are most relevant in their profession.
When asked “Who should modern diplomats look up to?” the audience responded in unison:
“Sergey Lavrov!”
The dialogue was high-level and open!
Photo: Daria Yurlova
