The Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted the credentials of new ambassadors to Russia from seven different countries, including Israel, Botswana, and North Korea. Kommersant special correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov has the details.
The ceremony at which new ambassadors to Russia present their credentials to the Russian president is one of the brightest holidays in the gray Kremlin routine. The shiny happy feeling is easily preserved because not one of the guests gets to say anything: all they do is present their letter of credentials to Vladimir Putin, who quickly hands it off to his assistant.
The ambassadors assembled yesterday in the Kremlin Palace came from Argentina, Bulgaria, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Israel, North Korea, and France. Each ambassador had his or her own particular style of interacting with the Russian president. Could they be reflective of the attitudes of their parent countries towards their new host? Judge for yourself:
North Korean Ambassador Kim Yong-jae bustled quickly up the red carpet to Mr. Putin's side, where he humbly handed over his credentials with his bead bowed. Presumably, this is the position to which North Korean diplomats have to become accustomed if they ever aspire to be appointed ambassador to Russia.
The Bulgarian ambassador, Plamen Ivanov-Grozdanov, was so nervous at being photographed with Vladimir Putin that he accidentally jostled aside Russian Defense Minister Sergei Lavrov from his position at the president's right hand. Mr. Lavrov, unfazed, elbowed him right back. Not hard – just enough to make his point.
For her part, either Israeli Ambassador Anna Azari dropped something almost like a curtsy as she approached to shake Mr. Putin's hand, or her knees buckled under his gaze. It was hard to tell.
French Ambassador Stanislas Lefebvre de la Boulaye was gifted with an unexpected pleasantry: as the ambassador handed his credentials to the president, Mr. Putin was distinctly heard to say "bonjour."
No such offering was made to the ambassador from Botswana. Incidentally, Botswana does have something to crow about: in the recently published economic freedom rankings of countries around the world, Botswana is in the second group of twenty countries from the top of the list. Russia is also in the second group of twenty – but from the bottom.
The ambassador from the Dominican Republic appeared to be so struck by the sight of the assembled Russian journalists in suits that, in the picture of him shaking hands with the president, he is staring not at Mr. Putin but at the journalists. Undeterred, Mr. Putin congratulated him on the opening of his country's diplomatic mission to Russia and assured him that the work that they have before them will be "not only full of important things, but interesting as well."
Mr. Putin's speech at the ceremony was strikingly topical, and he often departed from his prepared text to address the ambassadors directly. After admonishing them to adhere to the principles of "collective" and "right" action, he unexpectedly turned to the topic of energy security: "It is clear that real energy security is attainable only if all participants in the energy chain fulfill their responsibilities," he said. "In this regard, I mean all kinds of energy: oil, gas, and nuclear. For our part…we are taking steps to structure all of our relationships in the energy sphere according to a transparent market framework, no matter what the political situation may be in any of these countries."
Clearly, Mr. Putin could not wait until his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sochi this weekend – where it would have been more appropriate – to reference the topic of Belarus and its recalcitrant president, Alexander Lukashenko, with whom Russia has recently locked horns over gas and oil supplies
"In normal trade and economic relationships," continued the president, "including those in the energy sphere, the same general conditions of international trade should apply to everyone. Everyone should be on an equal footing when it comes to solving problems in the energy sphere, including the issue of access to modern technology."
Even from far away, it could be seen that the North Korean ambassador had nodded slightly at these words.
"For the next decade, Russia will be a reliable supplier of energy resources on the world market. We intend to do everything required of us to fulfill all of our obligations in full," he said, and the French ambassador seemed to visibly relax.
Mr. Putin even had some kind words for Israel: "In the future, we intend to build friendly relations with Israel, keeping in mind that a significant number of Israel's citizens are immigrants from the former Soviet Union. We will also strive to cooperate in bringing peace and stability to the Near East." He did not explain how it will be possible for Russia to simultaneously contribute to peace and stability in the region and build good relations with Israel.
Finally, Mr. Putin expressed "satisfaction with the dynamic of dialog with the Dominican Republic" and noted the "overlap or closeness of [Russia's] position with that of the Republic of Botswana on key international problems": i.e., the Iranian nuclear problem, Russian-Georgian relations, and the mysterious death of Alexander Litvinenko. If truth be told, did he expect anything different from Botswana?
The ceremony at which new ambassadors to Russia present their credentials to the Russian president is one of the brightest holidays in the gray Kremlin routine. The shiny happy feeling is easily preserved because not one of the guests gets to say anything: all they do is present their letter of credentials to Vladimir Putin, who quickly hands it off to his assistant.
The ambassadors assembled yesterday in the Kremlin Palace came from Argentina, Bulgaria, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Israel, North Korea, and France. Each ambassador had his or her own particular style of interacting with the Russian president. Could they be reflective of the attitudes of their parent countries towards their new host? Judge for yourself:
North Korean Ambassador Kim Yong-jae bustled quickly up the red carpet to Mr. Putin's side, where he humbly handed over his credentials with his bead bowed. Presumably, this is the position to which North Korean diplomats have to become accustomed if they ever aspire to be appointed ambassador to Russia.
The Bulgarian ambassador, Plamen Ivanov-Grozdanov, was so nervous at being photographed with Vladimir Putin that he accidentally jostled aside Russian Defense Minister Sergei Lavrov from his position at the president's right hand. Mr. Lavrov, unfazed, elbowed him right back. Not hard – just enough to make his point.
For her part, either Israeli Ambassador Anna Azari dropped something almost like a curtsy as she approached to shake Mr. Putin's hand, or her knees buckled under his gaze. It was hard to tell.
French Ambassador Stanislas Lefebvre de la Boulaye was gifted with an unexpected pleasantry: as the ambassador handed his credentials to the president, Mr. Putin was distinctly heard to say "bonjour."
No such offering was made to the ambassador from Botswana. Incidentally, Botswana does have something to crow about: in the recently published economic freedom rankings of countries around the world, Botswana is in the second group of twenty countries from the top of the list. Russia is also in the second group of twenty – but from the bottom.
The ambassador from the Dominican Republic appeared to be so struck by the sight of the assembled Russian journalists in suits that, in the picture of him shaking hands with the president, he is staring not at Mr. Putin but at the journalists. Undeterred, Mr. Putin congratulated him on the opening of his country's diplomatic mission to Russia and assured him that the work that they have before them will be "not only full of important things, but interesting as well."
Mr. Putin's speech at the ceremony was strikingly topical, and he often departed from his prepared text to address the ambassadors directly. After admonishing them to adhere to the principles of "collective" and "right" action, he unexpectedly turned to the topic of energy security: "It is clear that real energy security is attainable only if all participants in the energy chain fulfill their responsibilities," he said. "In this regard, I mean all kinds of energy: oil, gas, and nuclear. For our part…we are taking steps to structure all of our relationships in the energy sphere according to a transparent market framework, no matter what the political situation may be in any of these countries."
Clearly, Mr. Putin could not wait until his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sochi this weekend – where it would have been more appropriate – to reference the topic of Belarus and its recalcitrant president, Alexander Lukashenko, with whom Russia has recently locked horns over gas and oil supplies
"In normal trade and economic relationships," continued the president, "including those in the energy sphere, the same general conditions of international trade should apply to everyone. Everyone should be on an equal footing when it comes to solving problems in the energy sphere, including the issue of access to modern technology."
Even from far away, it could be seen that the North Korean ambassador had nodded slightly at these words.
"For the next decade, Russia will be a reliable supplier of energy resources on the world market. We intend to do everything required of us to fulfill all of our obligations in full," he said, and the French ambassador seemed to visibly relax.
Mr. Putin even had some kind words for Israel: "In the future, we intend to build friendly relations with Israel, keeping in mind that a significant number of Israel's citizens are immigrants from the former Soviet Union. We will also strive to cooperate in bringing peace and stability to the Near East." He did not explain how it will be possible for Russia to simultaneously contribute to peace and stability in the region and build good relations with Israel.
Finally, Mr. Putin expressed "satisfaction with the dynamic of dialog with the Dominican Republic" and noted the "overlap or closeness of [Russia's] position with that of the Republic of Botswana on key international problems": i.e., the Iranian nuclear problem, Russian-Georgian relations, and the mysterious death of Alexander Litvinenko. If truth be told, did he expect anything different from Botswana?
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