EMBASSY INFORMS
On 20 March 2019 the Russian Embassy hosted a reception in honor of the Soviet War Memorial Trust. Opened in 1999 the memorial is a unique monument, commemorated to the Soviet citizens, who died in World War II. In 2005, as First Sea Lord, I had the great honour of being present in the ‘Hero City’ Murmansk on Victory Day, together with a party of over 300 British veterans, His Royal Highness the Duke of York, and the frigate HMS Sutherland. After a moving ceremony and parade in the city’s main square, I was invited to walk alongside the governor of the Murmansk Oblast and the Commander of the Northern Fleet at the head of a procession of veterans and citizens up to the huge statue of the soldier ‘Alyosha’ – the Monument to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic – that stands on a high bluff overlooking the Kola Inlet, gazing across to the distant border with Norway that was protected with such determination and courage. There we laid wreaths to the fallen and remembered those who had died or been permanently affected by the terrible events of those years. Question: Does the Embassy have a statement to make regarding the Russian sailors who were found on an island in the Bristol Channel? It’s a great pleasure for me to host this reception today! We dedicate the today’s event to our friends from the Soviet War Memorial Trust. Their enthusiasm and dedication made it possible, that a unique monument, commemorated to the sacrifice of 27 million lives by the citizens and armed forces of the former Soviet Union in its joint struggle with the Western Allies to defeat Nazism during World War II, became a focus of Victory Day events in London.
Memorial work nowadays takes a special place in activities of Russian MFA, and WWII memory is, of course, a top priority here. Collecting the information about military memorials, arranging repairs where needed and monitoring their condition – all this is a significant part of the work of many Embassies around the world. Our Ministry has signed multiple agreements on cooperation with various organizations and charities working in this area, such as the Russian Heritage committee here in the UK. Distinguished Mr. President,
Distinguished Mr. Secretary-General
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A year has passed since I last addressed this audience. By historical standards, this is a miniscule amount of time. Yet the events that have taken place over the year have brought us to the edge of a new era in arms control.
A year ago, you and us still hoped that, by means of constructive dialogue, we altogether could overcome differences, find compromise solutions and give new impetus to the joint effort aimed at strengthening peace and maintaining global stability. On 19 March 2019 Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko met Executive Director of the International Grain Council (IGC) On 19 March the Agricultural Attaché of the Russian Embassy Vladimir Derbenskiy visited the International Food and Drink Event 2019, one of the most important food industry shows hosted in the UK. Question: How would you react to today’s statement by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt who has again condemned the “illegal annexation” of the Crimean Peninsula that was a result of a “blatant land grab” and a “sham referendum”?
Answer: This position is not new. It is based on a total disregard for the rights and interests of Crimeans, but also those of Ukrainians, whose president was removed in 2014 in an unconstitutional way and with the West’s direct support. Faced with a coup in Kiev, accompanied by a neo-Nazi frenzy and direct threats of violence in Crimea, the Crimean people decided that it could no longer exercise its right to self-determination within the Ukrainian state, declared independence and re-joined Russia. Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at the Security Council Arria-Formula meeting on Crimea regarding “Fifth anniversary of the beginning of Russia’s occupation of Crimea: A blatant violation of international law”
Distinguished Mr. President,
At the outset let me express condolences to the friendly people of New Zealand regarding the disastrous events in Christchurch. We condemn this heinous crime. It should be investigated and any possible recurrences should be prevented. We hope that all the wounded will feel better and recover soon.
There was a good storyteller Lewis Carrol. His most famous tale “Alice in Wonderland” tells us about a little girl who dreamt and thought it was real. I am having an impression that todays event is held by such “Alices” who tell us about their dreams. Their dreams are mainly scary and appalling. Question: How would you comment on the UK position regarding humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria in the light of today’s International Donor Conference on Syria in Brussels? Answer: We have taken note of the FCO press release on the UK participation in this conference, stating that “humanitarian access to millions in need within Syria continues to be obstructed by the Syrian regime who routinely refuse requests from the UN and aid organisations to deliver aid”. These allegations are simply not true. In fact, the Syrian government makes every effort for delivering humanitarian aid to various parts of the country. I am delighted to welcome you today at the reception to mark Russia’s participation in this year’s London Book Fair. It has already become a tradition and the “Read Russia” stand is one of the “trademark features” of the Fair which opens tomorrow. The main goal of literature, as well as of culture in general, is to build bridges between different countries and bring our ties to a new level of connectivity, engaging new dimensions and areas of contacts. This role has grown only more important during the chaotic and unpredictable times we live in today. We thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General David Shearer and Mm. Angelina Jial for the information on the situation in South Sudan, as well as on the course of South Sudan peace process.
When looking back at the previous year, we believe that it was marked by the peace agreement that the sides to the conflict in South Sudan managed to reach. It is vital that South Sudanese sides demonstrated their preparedness for a compromise, and commitment to overcome disputes. On 12 March 2018, Russian national Nikolay Glushkov was murdered in London under mysterious circumstances.
A year later, the Embassy regrets to state that the British authorities continue to disregard our numerous enquiries. The Russian side is yet to receive a substantial response from the Home Office to the official request of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation for legal assistance over Russia’s own criminal case into the death of Nikolay Glushkov, forwarded as early as in April 2018. After a brief letter from the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu on 26 April 2018, the Embassy has not received any meaningful updates on the investigation into the death of the Russian national. The British authorities have also been silent regarding the Embassy’s proposal to arrange a meeting between the Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko and the Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick. Instead of providing a credible response, the British government has been forwarding the Embassy from one authority to another in an obvious attempt to wrap up the case. On 8 March the Embassy received a letter from the editor of the “Mail on Sunday” replying to the Embassy’s request of a public apology due to the newspaper publishing false information on the Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko on 3 March. The letter states that the the “Mail on Sunday” editing office does not consider appropriate to apologise for its article where it was suggested that Ambassador Yakovenko was expelled from the USA in 1986 for “spying”. Supposedly, publishing the Embassy’s response to the allegations was enough for it. Question: 12 March marks one year since the mysterious murder of the Russian national Nikolay Glushkov in London. Does the Embassy have any new information regarding the circumstances of his death? Answer: Unfortunately, the British side continues to ignore our numerous requests regarding the inquiry into the death of former Deputy Director General of Aeroflot Mr Nikolay Glushkov in London. On 7 March the Embassy sent a new Note Verbale to the Foreign Office with a request to provide the Russian side with official information or preliminary results of the inquiry.
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