At first glance, the two men would seem to have very little in common. Kerry, 70, is a career politician who served nearly three decades in the U.S. Senate and is known for his sense of humor and propensity for going off-script during talks.
Lavrov, 64, is a career diplomat who has spent more than 40 years as a Russian envoy in posts around the world, and has been nicknamed "Minister No" for his tough, by-the-book approach to negotiations.But both men are from the same generation, and observers say they have developed a mutual respect for one another over a series of face-to-face meetings since Kerry took the job in February last year. "It seems both Kerry and Lavrov prefer the old school, they do it with grace," says one Moscow-based analyst who declined to be named in this report. "It looks like they've developed a pretty good rapport, and this is a stark difference from when Lavrov's partners were Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton."
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Lavrov and Kerry have managed to conjure up a détente of sorts over the past year. Lavrov's English is excellent, and both men speak French. Lavrov often joins Kerry to talk policy on his frequent garden strolls during face-to-face meetings, and last month the pair were photographed kicking a soccer ball around the grounds of the U.S. ambassador's house in London. Both are reportedly avid sports fans -- Kerry played varsity soccer at Yale University, while Lavrov is a die-hard fan of Moscow club FC Spartak.
And in January, Kerry surprised Lavrov with a gift of two giant Idaho potatoes during a meeting in Paris. Kerry said that his friend had mentioned the spuds during a conversation over Christmas. Not to be outdone, the Russian gave State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki a pink "ushanka" hat to help her keep "warm and fancy" during the winter storms in the U.S.
But it is their professionalism, not personal interests, that really makes the relationship work, according to Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center.
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As the U.S. and Russia join the EU and Ukraine for four-way talks aimed at defusing the Ukrainian crisis, experts hope Kerry and Lavrov's close working relationship will enable them to take the edge off what are expected to be contentious proceedings.
"The situation now is very, very tense and very dangerous," says the Moscow-based analyst who declined to be named in this report. "But the fact that Lavrov and Kerry talk so often is a very positive sign. They can agree and disagree on certain issues, but this personal relationship helps a little bit."