By H.E. Mr. Alexander Vasilievich Shulgin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
It was a great pleasure to start working in the Netherlands as Ambassador of the Russian Federation. The Netherlands is a country that combines the best of European tradition with the latest developments in social life. With a rich cultural heritage and a prosperous economy, it enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the centres of world trade. The Dutch are a sporting nation – they play perfect football and volleyball, and they are skilled at speed skating and ice skating.
Russia and the Netherlands historically have maintained strong and long-standing ties, which have developed at a steady pace. Dutch merchants first appeared in the Russian northern city of Archangelsk during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Early nautical charts that helped sailors find their way to Russia were created in this period.
The Netherlands inspired Peter the Great to open a window to Europe. It was a good model of an influential European country for him. The Russian czar, while being trained as a shipwright in Amsterdam, met with merchants, architects, sculptors, book printers and inventors. Thus Peter I picked up practical ideas which he later implemented to modernise the political structure and economic and cultural life of Russia.
On the 21st of February 2016 we will celebrate the 200th wedding anniversary of Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, sister of Alexander I and Nicholas I, and the Dutch Crown Prince of Orange, who became in 1840 the King of the Netherlands, Willem II. Their marriage in the Winter Palace church in St. Petersburg exemplifies the very close ties that bind our two countries and peoples.
It is well known that Anna Pavlovna was deeply engaged in charity work, and patronized educational institutions for children. She always extended a helping hand to her Motherland. When Russia was involved in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, she organized for medical supplies to be sent to soldiers on the front line.
Our countries are united not only by historical and cultural links, but also by deep ties of friendship. 2013 was marked by the Russia-Netherlands friendship year, unprecedented in the history of relations between our countries, which featured more than 600 political, economic and cultural events. These were held at many high-profile venues including the main exhibition complex Hermitage Amsterdam, which was opened earlier in 2009.
Such topical issues deserve our joint efforts, particularly when it comes to the conservation and restoration of monuments related to the historical, cultural and scientific heritage of Russia and the Netherlands. Among relevant challenges are saving the remains of sunken ships, the study of the compilations of Dutch collectors in Russian libraries and museums, and the preservation of artefacts in both countries.
Our nations have never waged a war against each other – on the contrary, we have always been allies and partners. The Netherlands and Russia have the same colours on our national flags, and the famous Russian Gzhel is strikingly similar to blue and white Delft porcelain painting.
As for the relations between our countries, I would like to emphasize that we consider the Netherlands as one of Russia’s key partners. We value what has been done in many practical areas of mutual cooperation – particularly in the trade and investment sectors, and in the fields of culture and cultural exchanges.
Unfortunately, the cooperation between the two countries is now going through uneasy times. There has been a significant drop in the turnover of commodities. However, we see a range of positive developments – flagship Dutch businesses, such as Shell, Unilever, Philips and DSM are going to stay in the Russian market. The Netherlands remains one of the key EU trade and investment partners of Russia, securing the third and the second positions in these sectors respectively.
My task as the Ambassador of Russia is to promote the next steps in furthering collaboration between the Dutch and Russian business circles. I believe it is important to extend cooperation between our countries in dealing with the new threats and challenges that we face, particularly in the fight against international terrorism.
As we look to the future of our relationship with optimism, I am confident that existing obstacles will be overcome, and that time-tested bilateral cooperation will help foster our mutual return to a path of sustainable economic growth for the benefit of our peoples, and for the sake of peace and security in Europe and around the world.
Photography by Mr. J. van der Meyde
Information:
Embassy of the Russian Federation in The Hague http://www.netherlands.mid.ru/
