Fact Check: "Lavrov became Russia's foreign minister in 2004"
What We Know
Sergey Lavrov has been serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia since March 9, 2004. He was appointed to this position by President Vladimir Putin, succeeding Igor Ivanov. Lavrov's tenure has made him the longest-serving foreign minister in Russian history since Andrei Gromyko during the Soviet era (Wikipedia, Russian Government). Prior to his appointment as foreign minister, Lavrov held various significant diplomatic roles, including serving as the Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations from 1994 to 2004 (Wikipedia, Simple English Wikipedia).
Analysis
The claim that Lavrov became Russia's foreign minister in 2004 is supported by multiple credible sources. The primary source, the Wikipedia article on Sergey Lavrov, explicitly states that he was appointed on March 9, 2004. This information is corroborated by the official Russian government website, which provides a biography of Lavrov and confirms his appointment date (Russian Government).
Additionally, the information is consistent across various language versions of Wikipedia, indicating a high level of reliability due to the collaborative nature of the platform, which often undergoes rigorous editing and fact-checking (Simple English Wikipedia, Sergei Lavrov – Wikipedia).
While the claim is straightforward and factual, it is essential to note that the context of Lavrov's appointment and his subsequent influence in Russian foreign policy has been a subject of discussion among political analysts. His role has often been characterized as that of a skilled diplomat, although opinions on his effectiveness and alignment with President Putin's policies vary (Wikipedia, Lavrov - The database "PUTIN'S LIST").
Conclusion
The claim that "Lavrov became Russia's foreign minister in 2004" is True. The evidence from multiple reliable sources confirms that Sergey Lavrov was indeed appointed to this position on March 9, 2004, and has continued to serve in this capacity since then.
