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The letter said, in part:

“You have chosen an interesting and complicated subject for your school research project. Philosophers, historians and politicians have discussed the role of the leader in the world for centuries because leaders’ conduct, choices and decisions largely determine the destinies of nations and of the entire global civilisation.

“A contemporary state leader should be able to proceed from detailed analyses of situations with consideration for a great many factors as he offers people constructive ways to settle their problems. The decisions he proposes should take into account the interests of the general public representing all ethnic entities in his country.

“The state leader should not only know the affairs of his country but also be an expert on international affairs. He must lend an attentive ear to other opinions and respect them. In that, he should by no means succumb to emotion, which is a bad adviser in statesmanship.

“What raises a national leader to the world level? Is it the might of his state or his personal qualities? On the one hand, the economic and political potential of a country certainly offers its leader great opportunities and effective instruments to protect its interests. On the other hand, the leader of a small country who successfully promotes the settlement of a regional crisis or a local conflict also has every right to be considered a leader on the international scale.

“The rapid progress of the economy, science, and information and other technologies has brought our civilisation to the era of globalisation, which dramatically increases the interdependence of countries. The role and responsibility of statesmen increases with it, which certainly concerns global and regional stability.

“Today, there is no way to guarantee the security of one country at the expense of others. This is why politicians must become more flexible and circumspect, and have respect for their partners’ stances. It is like solving a multi-grade equation to find the only correct solution that would satisfy the entire world. Any error can lead to unpredictable consequences.

“I want to stress that globalisation must rest on international legal norms and principles elaborated by humanity. Otherwise, certain countries might succumb to the temptation of acting from the position of strength and ignore the opinions of their partners in international relations. This is inadmissible if we want to preserve our civilisation, which is based on the unique variety of cultures, traditions and religions.

“To be sure, not everyone is born with the makings of a national leader. However, each of you must start even at school to foster in yourself the qualities that would help you to make sound decisions even in the most complicated circumstances, and achieve success. I hope you have already made the first steps on the road to becoming strong, free and independent people.”

Pupils at School No 1 in Limbazi, who were competing in the international school contest Doors to Diplomacy, sent a letter to Mr Putin in January 2003 to ask him the following within the theme they had chosen for the contest—the role of state leaders in the contemporary world:

1. What are the personal makings of a leader?

2. What makes a statesman a world leader—his country’s might or his own personal qualities?

3. How do contemporary global processes influence the role of a leader and leadership in general—do they increase or decrease it?