Ambassador Andrei Kelin’s Christmas and New Year Address, 2021
Dear friends!
Dear compatriots!
The year 2021 is coming to a close.
There were many hopes that it would be better than the year before and, in many ways, our aspirations are still set high. This hope for a better tomorrow is what keeps us all moving forward, protecting everyone and everything that matters most in life: our families and friends, their health and wellbeing.
The second year of the pandemic has proven once again that we still have a long way to go, unless the world comes together in a joint effort to eliminate this common threat.
Unfortunately, the current state of Russian-British relations still leaves much to be desired. We sincerely hope that our British partners will come to realise that continued escalation of tensions and further deterioration of our bilateral relations does not serve the interests of our countries and people.
As they say, every cloud has a silver lining: our humanitarian and business ties are only getting stronger, despite the remaining challenges and unfavourable circumstances. This gives me hope that further development of cooperation in various fields would benefit our nations and serve as a strong foundation for effective countering of common threats, which only seem to be growing in number.
One cannot, of course, fail to mention the memorial work by our compatriots and British citizens alike, who actively participate in preserving our shared history of victory over Nazism.
This year I had the privilege of visiting Coventry - the twin-city of Volgograd - to take part in commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of their twinning. The memory of this friendship is alive and serves a fine example of «people's diplomacy», bringing our citizens together.
In 2021 we also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the first Arctic Convoy arriving in the port of Arkhangelsk with the vital cargo for the use by the Red Army. Our country is forever grateful to the people of the United Kingdom for their heroism and willingness to extend a helping hand to the Soviet Union at a time of need.
Now, as we stand on the threshold of a new year, is the time of reflection, of kind thoughts and good hopes for the future. Trials and tribulations always go away eventually.
I would like to wish everyone the best of health, happiness and lots of success.
May all the hardships of the expiring year pass away.
On 9 May 2022, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin with Defence and Military Attaché Maxim Elovik laid wreaths to the Soviet War Memorial in London and the grave of the Soviet soldier Vasiliy Lukianov at the Aldershot Military Cemetery.
On 9 February 2022, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin gave an interview to RT channel, stressing that admission of Ukraine into NATO is detrimental to European security and totally unacceptable for Russia. From this point, we should come to certain solutions. We do not insist on a dialogue without any goal, because it will lead us nowhere.
On 27.01.2022, we remember one of the darkest and most tragic chapters in human history – the Holocaust. A remembrance ceremony was held at the Soviet War Memorial, attended by local authorities, representatives of Embassies, WWII veterans and NGOs.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a news conference on Russia’s foreign policy performance in 2021, Moscow, January 14, 2022.
Tweet Follow @russianembassy