On the picture H.E. Alexander Shulgin, Ambassador of Russia.
By Joe Ray.
February 10 occupies a special position in the Russian diplomatic calendar. Since 2002, it has been celebrated as Diplomats’ Day, an opportunity for the nation to celebrate its foreign service and recognise the work carried out by Russian diplomats around the world.
To mark Diplomats’ Day 2016, H.E. Mr. Alexander Shulgin, Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands, and his wife Mrs. Natalia Shulgina hosted a reception at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in The Hague.
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Attendees included the Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Brazil, India, Kazakhstan and South Africa, as well as the Director-General of the OPCW and senior legal figures from The Hague’s international courts and tribunals, among others.
Ambassador Shulgin began his welcoming remarks by offering guests an insight into the history of his country’s diplomatic corps. The foundations of Russian diplomacy were laid more than a 1000 years ago, he explained, when a delegation from Ancient Russia led by Princess Olga successfully conducted negotiations with the Byzantine Empire.
“Today,” continued the Ambassador, “we know that the world is not safe. We are faced with many problems and challenges, among them the rise of terrorism, the dangers of climate change and the existence of multiple conflict hotbeds around the world. Diplomats of all countries must work intensively to face these challenges together and to jointly address the world’s problems.”
“We are very proud to have contributed, in close cooperation with our colleagues from other countries, to achieving the historical agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme; carrying out Syrian chemical disarmament; and signing the international agreement on climate change. But some problems are still waiting to be addressed.”
“We are very concerned about the Syrian crisis, and we are still awaiting the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. There is a long road ahead when it comes to dealing with these problems. We hope that international cooperation will proceed in a civilised way, with each country taking into account the interests of other countries. We should proceed on the basis of international law with respect for the central role of the United Nations.”
“We believe we should cooperate on an equal footing and on a mutually beneficial basis. And indeed, if we proceed from both these premises, we are certain that we will be able to overcome all of these difficulties and together meet the world’s many challenges. We have no doubt that this noble goal may be achieved by our common efforts.”
Following the Ambassador’s speech, guests enjoyed an evening of fine Russian cuisine and traditional music performed by Irina Pozdnyakova and Arkadiy Gankin.
Information:
Embassy of the Russian Federation in The Hague http://www.netherlands.mid.ru/
