How a Russian diplomat did it his way 

Russia’s Ambassador to Jamaica Sergey Petrovich is a career diplomat and the quintessential ambassador. 

He is educated, experienced, very intelligent, intuitive; a patriot, curious and humane—a European man of the world. He speaks three languages: Russian, English and Swedish.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Russia and Jamaica. It is fortuitous that at this time, the island has a fine ambassador from Russia, one who has deepened understanding between the two countries.

Ambassador Sergey Petrovich is an ambassador with a lot on his plate. Not only does he preside over Jamaica but four other Caribbean countries namely, St Lucia, Antigua, St Kitts and Dominica. He is also the Russian representative to the International Seabed Authority, which represents 170 countries. It was established 30 years ago and is headquartered in Kingston.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is the organisation through which states party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) organise and control all mineral-resources-related activities in the area for the benefit of humankind. ISA has the mandate to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities.

It meets three times a year, the spring session, summer session and the autumn session.

Traditionally, Russian ambassadors to Jamaica do get accredited with other Caribbean countries, making the position a more regional one.

Russia is the biggest country not only in Europe but in the world covering 6,601,668 square miles spanning two continents, Europe and Asia.  It has a population of 144 million. Over the last three years, it has been engaged in a war with Ukraine which has resulted in according to US President Donald Trump, one million Russian casualties so far.  This number is yet to be corroborated. It is the largest military conflict in Europe since the Second World War some eighty years ago.

Some say Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to restore the greatness of Russia and expand his sphere of influence. Others say Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union and now wants to join NATO, allowing it to place nuclear weapons that can strike Moscow and St Petersburg.

In other words, Russia is like a rattlesnake warning don’t get too close or else. From the Baltic states and Ukraine, NATO can stab at the heart of Russia, something President Putin is all too well aware of. This is why he is insisting that  Ukraine must be neutral and demilitarised.

The conflict makes life difficult for a Russian ambassador intent on building trade relations and fostering better awareness of Russia. But you couldn’t tell with  Sergey Petrovich—he remains well respected, charming and gracious in Kingston circles. The war must have had some impact on his effectiveness but you couldn’t tell. He has played a part in elevating the awareness of the Russian Embassy and that is to his credit.

Diplomatic relations with Jamaica 

“We have been enjoying friendly relations between Russia and Jamaica since the 70s. We established diplomatic relations with Jamaica in 1975. This month we celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries. Since then we have made good progress. We have made significant contributions to the economy, particularly with mining. [UC] Rusal has played a big part here. It is the second largest mining company in the world, and has been operating in Jamaica since 2007,” said Ambassador Petrovich in an interview with Our Today.

Rusal owns two plants in Jamaica; one in Ewarton in St Catherine and another in Kirkvine, Manchester. It also owned and operated the Alpart plant but sold it to the Chinese in 2016. Rusal operates under the brand West Indies Alumina Company (WINDALCO). Rusal is the largest foreign investor in Jamaica’s mining industry.

Ambassador Sergey Petrovich began his assignment in the Caribbean in the midst of the COVID era—July 14, 2021, to be precise.  He had never set foot in the Caribbean before.

“It was a tough time for me but also for many diplomats. I couldn’t make the customary courtesy calls, meet with government and business leaders. My effectiveness as a diplomat was constrained,” he recalls.

He has since made up for lost time and is a perennial presence on the diplomatic and social scene. He has adjusted well.

 Closer ties with the Caribbean 

“Before coming to Jamaica, I had never been in the Caribbean. It is a completely new world for me. I consider myself thoroughly European,” Ambassador Petrovich mused.

So how can Russia establish closer ties with Jamaica and the Caribbean? 

“Russia could export more to places like the Caribbean. We have plenty of wheat. We would like to extend our trading ties with the Caribbean. But it must be said that the Caribbean remains largely undiscovered for Russia. At the same time, it must be said Russia is still undiscovered for Jamaica and the Caribbean. Our main trading with Jamaica is around bauxite and alumina.- about 95 per cent. The remaining 5 per cent is agriculture. We import pimento from Jamaica. Do you know you can find Red Stripe in Moscow? I think there will be a closer trading relationship between the Caribbean and Russia in the coming years.”

Western media present Vladimir Putin as a strong man, a dictator on a quest to restore the Russian empire. If you really pay attention, he is an erudite man, versed in history and politics. He can be humorous but always presents as a statesman. A Russian poll gives him an approval rating of 80 per cent. The Russian economy grew by 4.1 per cent last year which was higher than most European countries. Inflation was  7 per cent. According to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, industrial output came in at 4.6 per cent driven by the manufacturing sector where growth reached 8.5 per cent.

So how do Russians view their country and what do they think of their president?

“The view of Russia is one of a modern state with a stable economy, a diverse economy. For a long time, Russia was dependent on commodities, more so oil and gas. The government is doing its best to reduce this dependency.  The vast majority of Russian people support the current president. He is now 72 and is in good shape and can go on for another six years. The president is very strong. The people feel he is capable to continue his duties and responsibilities as the Head of State,” said a clear-eyed Sergey Petrovich.

There are many ambassadors who enjoy the favour of the political leader of their country—in other words, cronyism and favouritism are rife. Many come from different walks of life. You even have some entertainers, sportsmen and media personalities.

Sergey Petrovich has been a diplomat for 30 years, he trained to be so and made a career of it. He is no dilettante playing at being a diplomat on the world stage. This is his calling,  this is what he does.

A career diplomat 

He hails from Moscow and loves St. Petersburg. He attended the Moscow State Institute of International Relations which in essence is an academy for diplomats. His path was set at a very young age encouraged by his parents. His father was a microbiologist and his mother was a veterinarian. In most instances, those who enter this field tend to come from a family already in diplomacy. Segey Petrovich did not.

“I was at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations for seven years rather than the five years because my first two years saw me conscripted into the army. I chose this profession. I’ve always been interested in international relations.

“I served as a navy aviator in Crimea from 1987 to 1989 when we were the Soviet Union and Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union. I joined the diplomatic service in 1993.”

After completing his studies, his first diplomatic assignment was Stockholm, Sweden where he worked for four years. He returned to Russia where he spent three years at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His second posting to Sweden was for five years. With notable experience and going beyond being a junior diplomat, he again returned to Moscow where he was appointed Head of Section for UK and Ireland and was later assigned to Russia’s Embassy in Dublin.

“Ireland was a dream posting. I love Ireland, the Emerald Isle. My time there was wonderful.I was there for four years and was Charge D’Affaires for the last year because our ambassador in Dublin unfortunately passed away.

“I came back to Moscow and spent nine years as Deputy Director of the Second European Department of the Foreign Ministry, covering Northern Europe in particular the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland). In my portfolio was also the UK, Ireland, and the Baltic States.”

This gave Petrovich an opportunity to engage in multi-national diplomacy. 

Here is a man who has spent the majority of his life in service to his country. I wondered how those early years in the army formed him. Today across the Western world one sees diminishing masculinity, young men preoccupied with playing video games, watching Netflix and porn, eating too much junk food, devoid of work ethic and drive, some living with their parents well into adulthood.

Does Ambassador Petrovich believe countries should insist young people be conscripted into the army for a few years?

“In my personal opinion, yes. I think every man should serve in the army. It is a very good school of life, more so for a man. It is a good way to contribute to your country and teaches the value of service. Being in the army helped me both in my life and in my diplomatic career. I graduated later because of those two years I spent in the army. “

Ice hockey 

The ambassador has a love for ice hockey and when he speaks about the sport he becomes impassioned. He began playing at the age of six and says he could have become a professional. At one point it was a choice between becoming a professional hockey player or a diplomat.

“After thirty years as a diplomat, I don’t know if I made the right choice! Perhaps I could have played in the NHL and become famous! I could have made a lot of money. Ice hockey is a game for real men, tough guys.”

Continuing on ice hockey, Ambassador Petrovich added: “Not many Jamaicans are aware there is a very good Jamaican national ice hockey team. It is the strongest team in the western hemisphere excluding the USA and Canada. In 2019, Jamaica won the LatAm Cup beating Colombia 2-0 on penalties. In 2021, Jamaica was not allowed to participate in this tournament because the team was deemed too strong. Jamaica was only allowed to play exhibition games. Jamaica won all six of its exhibition games.

“I plan to meet with the chair of the Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation, Don Anderson to talk about ice hockey. I have already talked about the game with sports Minister [Olivia] ‘Babsy’  Grange. The problem is Jamaica has a very strong team but the players leave and train in the US and Canada. There should be at least one domestic ice arena which is presently not the case in Jamaica. All  players in the team should be resident in their home country for at least two years before qualifying for the Olympics.”

When Jesus Silva was Spain’s Ambassador to Jamaica he managed to preside over King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia’s two-day State Visit to Jamaica back in 2009. Could Ambassador Petrovich persuade President Putin to visit Jamaica and the Caribbean states he is responsible for?

“I would very much like that but our President doesn’t go abroad too much these days and I’m sure you understand why. The question is what would be the substance of the visit? If it is a visit by the Head of State then it must be for something very important like the signing of an agreement or something like that.

“In the history of our bilateral relations, there has only been one high-level visit and that was by Prime Minister Michael Manley to the Soviet Union back in 1979. Our Foreign Minister Mr Labrov met Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith in New York in 2018 where they signed the bilateral visa agreement. In July 2019, Johnson Smith visited Russia.“

Russian visitors 

There are not too many Russians in Jamaica. What can be done to bring more visitors to Jamaica?

“It is my job to bring as many Russian tourists to Jamaica. From 1979 to 1994 there were regular direct flights between Moscow and Kingston. For fifteen years that was the case but with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, that stopped. In 2012/2013, there were regular charter flights between the two countries. At that time Russia’s second largest airline carrier Transaero operated between Moscow and Montego Bay. In 2018 after the signing of the visa agreement until the COVID period, Nordwind flew between Moscow and Montego Bay.  The highest number of visitors we have seen coming to Jamaica was during that period which was 12,000 Russians.

“After the COVID period, the charter flights stopped. Now we are negotiating with the Jamaican government over an air services agreement. This will lead to more Russian tourists coming to Jamaica. Most Russian tourists visiting the Caribbean tend to go to Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Tens of thousands of Russians visit these two Caribbean countries because there are direct flights.”

Russian literature 

Russia is known for its great writers.  Who will follow Pushkin, Chekhov, Gogol, and Tolstoy? 

Are there any writers Ambassador Petrovich can recommend?

“There are quite a few making a mark. There is Dmitry Bykov, Victor Pelevin, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Guzel Yakhina, and Boris Akunin.”

Women in Russian political leadership 

We don’t hear too much about Russian women political leaders. Can you shed some light on that?

“There are now more women coming onto the Russian political stage. The most famous female politician is Valentina Matviyenko who became the chairwoman of the Federation Council (Upper House/Senate). Then you have Olga Golodets. who served as deputy prime minister from 2012-2020.

“We have many women in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which for decades was a male fortress. We have two female ambassadors. There are many women deputies in the state Duma.”

Alone in Jamaica 

Many ambassadors take on their assignments with their family in tow but in Sergey Petrovich’s case, he is alone in Jamaica with his family back home in Russia. One wonders does he get a bit lonesome for them sometimes. You get the impression that this situation is not an impediment to his professionalism.

“I have a 27-year-old son back home in Russia. He was born in Sweden, and then spent some time in Vienna, Austria. My son lived in Washington DC for ten years. My father-in-law was a former Russian ambassador to the US during that time and so he lived with his grandfather there. He then moved back to Moscow and went on to study first in Paris then London where he majored in Business Administration.

“He didn’t follow my path. I advised him to pursue a profession he has affection and aptitude for. He wants a career in business.”

Getting to know Russia 

How can the Caribbean, indeed the world get to know more about Russia? One is inclined to believe it is a fascinating country.

Ambassador Sergey Petrovich with a gleam in his eye piped up, “ We are working to attract more foreign visitors to Russia and for them to experience our country. One way is through scholarship programmes. We offer 30,000 scholarships to international students including Jamaicans. From the ’70s to now, many Jamaicans have studied in Russia. Many have said the medical training in Russia  is very good.

“In 2022, twenty young Jamaicans went to study engineering in Krasnoyarsk ( the largest city in Siberia which is in eastern Russia) which was partially funded by Rusal. It can get to -40 degrees Celsius there. The quality of Russian education is very high.”

Thoughts on Jamaica 

So what are Ambassador Sergey Petrovich’s impressions of Jamaica?

“ I enjoy Jamaica very much. I spent so many years in Europe and I am thankful for the fate that gave me the opportunity to come to Jamaica. I found Jamaica to be a very friendly country. I can assure you Jamaica has a very good reputation with Russians. They see Jamaica as a beautiful country, a paradise. We call Jamaica “the island of the eternal summer”. There are some beautiful beaches here. Jamaican culture resonates across the world and in that way is very similar to Ireland.”

“During my three years here, I have explored Jamaica, visited all parishes. I like to go to new places every weekend. I have visited all the rum distilleries and many of the Great Houses.

“I have hiked the Blue Mountains which took eight hours and I have set eyes on eighteen waterfalls. Maybe I will write a book about Jamaica.”

 What’s next?

Sergey Petrovich is a man destined for higher things and his career will progress. He is a credit to his country and is the quintessential ambassador. He is intellectually curious, disciplined,and learned. It will come as little surprise to hear that he is to be promoted and will be sent to ply his diplomatic skills in a bigger country whose economy is substantial. Where would he like to work next?

He smiles ruefully: “That’s not up to me. You go where the Government sends you. You get the order and you serve. Mind you, somewhere in Scandinavia would be nice.”