Former Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union, he joined the diplomatic service in 1957. From 1970 to 1983, he was Consul at the Soviet Embassy in the United States, and subsequently led the U.S.A. Department in the Foreign Ministry. In 1986 he became Deputy Foreign Minister and in 1988 First Deputy Foreign Minister. In 1990-91 he served as Ambassador to the United States, and in 1991 was the Minister for Foreign Affairs. He was the first Soviet Minister for Foreign Affairs to visit Israel when he met Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Foreign Minister David Levy. In 1992 he was elected President of the Foreign Policy Association, and in 1993 Chairman of the World Council of Former Foreign Ministers.