Aleksei Alekseyevich Rodionov (Russian:Алексей Алексеевич Родионов; 27 March 1922 – 18 May 2013) was aSoviet diplomat who served as theAmbassador of the Soviet Union to Pakistan from 1971 until 1974 and theAmbassador of the Soviet Union to Canada from 1983 to 1990.
He is notable for his appointment that saw his involvement during thewar with India in 1971 when the Soviet Union directed a secret message toPresidentYahya Khan to come up with a peaceful political settlement for theEast Pakistan to avoid going through the conflict with India.[1] The now-declassifiedRodionov message ultimately warned Pakistan that "it will [be] embarking [on] a suicidal course if it escalates tensions in the subcontinent."[2]: part-3
Rodionov reportedly had an acrimonious meeting with President Yahya Khan a week after theIndo-Soviet treaty was signed.[3] During his tenure, the Soviet Union's relations with Yahya Khan had met with demise but he worked towards repairing relations with Bhutto in 1971 when he lobbied in the Soviet Union for the establishment of thePakistan Steel Mills.[4] On 24 January 1972, he delivered an official invitation to then-PresidentZulfikar Ali Bhutto in Karachi topay a state visit toSoviet Union that took place in 1974.[4] In 1974, Rodionov was recalled from his posting as Soviet ambassador to Pakistan in order to take up other duties. Soviet Ambassador Sarvar Azimov had succeeded him who stayed until 1980.[5][6]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
