№ 39, 2024. PIR Center celebrates Ambassador Roland Timerbaev’s birthday

MOSCOW. SEPTEMBER 27, 2024. PIR PRESS. «‎Today, amidst a renewed nuclear threat, it is especially relevant and essential for new generations of diplomats, political scientists, and other specialists in international security to think about these issues [related to nuclear weapons and their role in the world – ed. note]. Thus, reflections of Ambassador Timerbaev are undoubtedly capable of further stimulating the creative thought process, even among the most well-prepared experts in the field of nuclear disarmament and arms control», – Natalia Artemenkova, member of the PIR Alumni Community, in the review of Selected Works of Amb. Roland Timerbaev.

On September 27, PIR Center celebrates Ambassador Roland Timerbaev’s birthday. Amb. Roland Timerbaev (1927-2019) was one of the world’s leading experts in nuclear nonproliferation, a diplomat who played a pivotal role in drafting the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), a cornerstone of the global security architecture. Among other many diplomatic accomplishments were contributions to the development of the ABM Treaty, the preparation of an Agreement on measures to reduce the risk of nuclear war between the USSR and the United States, the Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapons Tests, the establishment of the IAEA safeguards system, and the creation of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

In the 1990s, Amb. Timerbaev made a considerable impact by helping establish nonproliferation research and education centers across the CIS. His crucial role in developing PIR Center from its foundation is a testament to his vision and dedication. Over the years, he mentored and inspired generations of specialists in nonproliferation, disarmament, and arms control, dedicating the last two decades of his life to academia and mentorship. From 1994 to 1998, he served as PIR Center’s president; from 1999 to 2010, he chaired its Executive Board. Amb. Timerbaev remained an active PIR Center’s Advisory Board member until his passing.

In 2023, the Ves’ Mir Publishing House released the Selected Works (in Russian) of Amb. Roland Timerbaev. The anthology includes articles, excerpts from monographs, as well as fragments from the personal diaries of Amb. Roland Timerbaev and his memoirs “Old Days Stories. Memories of negotiations on nonproliferation and disarmament and much more,” published earlier within the PIR Library Series. They tell about the origin and evolution of nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear arms control regimes from the moment of the creation of the atomic bomb to the present day.

Amb. Roland Timerbaev participated in a number of negotiations in the areas as part of the Soviet delegation. Thus, along with the unique historical facts, the author generously shares his thoughts on the topical issues in the field of international security, including the most important ones – how humanity can avoid a nuclear war and whether a world without nuclear weapons is possible.

On Ambassador Timerbaev’s birthday, we are pleased to share with our readers the review by Natalia Artemenkova, member of the PIR Alumni Community, of Selected Works of Amb. Roland Timerbaev (in Russian), which can be accessed via the link!

The review was published in the September issue of the International Affairs Journal (in Russian), and it provides a comprehensive analysis of the depth of thought and enduring relevance of the great diplomat’s work. Thus, Amb. Roland Timerbaev’s papers resonate with current global events and offer valuable lessons from the past that could contribute to maintaining peace and security in our unstable times.

Key words: Oral history; Nuclear nonproliferation

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F4/SOR – 24/09/27