Official website of the President of Russia

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Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon,

In the coming years you will live and work in a complicated, but very interesting country that is experiencing a period of large-scale social-political and social-economic transformations. I think you have already had an opportunity to become convinced that this is the sound approach.

Russia, as it enters the 21st century, is confidently moving along the path of renewal and democratic reforms. The civil society and legal state institutions are growing stronger and our main economic performance indicators are improving. All that offers additional opportunities for our mutually beneficial and many-sided cooperation. I count on your support in making the best use of these opportunities.

There is a broad field for joint work in the international arena as well. The era of globalisation and the new challenges and threats it has brought, above all international terrorism, necessitate a special view of the problems facing mankind. To meet them, it is imperative to have a new philosophy of cooperation based on a solid legal foundation, mutual respect of one another’s interests and equal rights.

Our country is a reliable partner of those states that really seek to form a genuinely democratic system of international relations and are aware of their responsibility for our common future.

The Republic of Poland is our neighbour and one of our key partners. We are satisfied with our intense political dialogue. Today it is important to translate the existing agreements into concrete projects. I am pleased to note that business contacts with our Polish colleagues are developing not only at the state and government levels, but also, quite effectively at the level of experts. For us, of course, the solution of the Kaliningrad problem is very important. Solving all the issues of interaction will help to form an atmosphere of trust not only between our countries, but in Europe as a whole.

We are interested in promoting bilateral trade and economic relations with the Republic of Albania. Normalisation of the situation in the Balkans and the maintenance of stability and sustained development of the region meet our mutual interests.

The relations between Russia and Iraq have a long history. We support an early settlement of the situation in that country by political and diplomatic methods on the basis of the existing resolutions of the UN Security Council and in strict accordance with the principles and norms of international law. The decision on the resumption of the work of the UN inspectors in Iraq opens up real opportunities for that. Early implementation of that decision will meet the concerns of the international community.

The Federal Republic of Germany is one of our key partners in the world. Our relations are marked by a high degree of mutual understanding and trust. We are moving confidently along the road of partnership. Russia and Germany have a huge potential for interaction in all the spheres. We intend to be consistent in translating that potential into concrete actions.

We cherish the traditions of friendship and mutual understanding that have been established between Russia and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Early this year marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. I am sure that we will be able to give a new impetus to our links in various spheres and will interact even more intensively.

We highly value the positive development of relations with Lithuania. Of course I must tell you frankly that the tone of the development of our cooperation will depend greatly on how the problems connected with the survival and development of the Kaliningrad Region will be solved. In that respect, very much depends on Lithuania. We intend to continue to build up Russian-Lithuanian economic ties, above all in the field of energy and transport.

We attach great importance to the relations of traditional friendship and partnership with Egypt, the leading country in the Arab and Muslim world. We are interested in a continued fruitful dialogue on pressing international and regional problems and the strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas.

In conclusion I would like to stress and confirm that the Russian ministries and agencies will give you all the necessary assistance in your work to strengthen the interaction between our countries.

From the bottom of my heart I wish you success in fulfilling this task.