10th of February is celebrated in Russia as Diplomat’s Day — day to honour Russian diplomats and veterans of the Russian Diplomatic service.

The holiday was established in October 2002 by the Decree of the Russian President Vladimir Putin to acknowledge the importance of the profession of a diplomat and its role as one of the key elements of Russia’s statehood. The date of the 10th of February was chosen for a reason – the earliest mentioning of “Posolsky Prikaz”, the predecessor of current Ministry of Foreign Affairs, falls on this day in 1549.

Congratulations to all employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Sergey Lavrov, as well as the veterans of the Diplomatic Service!

"Can we call ourselves diplomats? Undoubtedly, although we have no official diplomatic ranks. The Northern Forum is at the forefront, promoting a positive image of the country, expanding the geography and scope of partnerships with the support of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Minister Sergey Lavrov personally. We therefore congratulate the entire Northern Forum team on this day and invite all those interested in developing international cooperation to join us!"

- Vladimir Vasilev, Executive Director of the Northern Forum