Born on April 25, 1947, in Moscow.

1970: graduated from the Soviet Foreign Ministry's Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) with a degree in International Economic Relations.

1970-2000: served with the USSR State Security Committee (KGB) and Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.

2000: Deputy Industry, Science and Technology Minister.

November 2000: Deputy Defence Minister.

November 2000: appointed Chairman of the Russian Federation's Committee for International Military-Technical Cooperation (KVTS Rossii) by an executive order of the Russian Federation's President.

April 2004: appointed Head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.

Married, two children. Fluent in Czech and English.