Lakim Kayumov

Lakim Kayumovich Kayumov (; 16 February 1933 – 11 November 1998) was a Soviet-Tajik politician and diplomat who served as the last Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (1989–1992) and the first Minister of External Relations of the independent Republic of Tajikistan (January–May 1992). He later served as the first Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the United Nations from 1992 to 1994.

Early life and education

Kayumov was born on 16 February 1933 in the village of Rumon in the Khujand District (now Ghafurov District) of the Tajik SSR, Soviet Union. He graduated from the Leninabad Pedagogical Institute, followed by the Higher Party School under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.

Political career

Kayumov was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). On 7 November 1989 Kayumov was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, a position he held until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Following Tajikistan's declaration of independence in September 1991, the ministry was restructured. From 10 January to 11 May 1992, Kayumov served as the Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Tajikistan. In February 1992, Kayumov attended the first summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Tehran, representing Tajikistan as its foreign minister. In an interview with Newsweek in February 1992 Kayumov commented on the international interest in the newly independent Central Asian republics, stating: "There is a sort of competition to establish close relations with us... I want to see Tajikistan open to everyone. We need their help and assistance." On 11 May 1992 Kayumov was succeeded by Khudoberdy Kholiknazarov as Minister of External Relations.

In 1992, Kayumov was appointed as the first Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations in New York City. He presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali on 8 October 1992. In September 1993 he addressed the United Nations General Assembly as the representative of Tajikistan. In 1994 Kayumov delivered a speech at the Review and Extension Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In October 1994 he was invited to comment on a report concerning the killings of journalists in Tajikistan but was unavailable for comment at the time. Kayumov served as Permanent Representative until December 1994, when he was succeeded by Rashid Alimov.

Views and legacy

Kayumov wrote about the shortage of professional diplomats in Tajikistan, noting that Moscow had, until recent years, restricted the republics' ability to train professional diplomats. During his tenure as foreign minister, he advocated for an "open door" foreign policy for Tajikistan, welcoming relations with both Western and Eastern countries. Kayumov is remembered as a transitional figure who guided Tajikistan's foreign policy during the critical period between the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the outbreak of the Tajikistan Civil War. He is often referred to as the "last Soviet foreign minister" of Tajikistan and the "first foreign minister" of the independent republic.

death

Kayumov died on 11 November 1998 in Moscow, Russia, at the age of 65.

External links

• Russian Wikipedia entry
• UN Photo Archive