Posted on 06/25/2003 10:58:40 AM PDT by Destro
Thursday June 26, 12:09 AM
Russia's Putin retraces historic links with Scotland
Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed Russia's European identity as he visited the Scottish capital Edinburgh on day two of his state visit to Britain.
Putin and his wife Lyudmila, accompanied by Prince Andrew, the second son of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, visited major sights and attended a formal lunch at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the queen's official residence in Scotland.
In a speech to leading politicians, and figures in the business, arts and other sectors, the Russian president said that Russia and Scotland had historic ties and urged Scottish businesses to invest in his country.
"Russia is a part of European culture. European culture would be incomplete without Russia. Russia is a part of Europe," Putin said Wednesday.
The Russian leader, who was making his second trip to Scotland after visiting the country about eight years ago, emphasised similarities between the Scottish and Russians.
"I have warm memories of the direct, straightforward and open culture of Scots. There is a great similarity here with my people, the Russians.
"Today, Russia has huge opportunities for your business," he told his audience, adding that Russia had a good investment climate after tax and other reforms.
Thanks to major energy projects, Britain now ranks first on Russia's foreign investment league table.
The Russian presidential couple began their trip by touring Edinburgh Castle, from where a stunning panoramic view of the city can be seen.
Three bagpipers played for them and Edinburgh schoolchildren performed traditional Scottish dances and songs on instruments including the clarsach, or Scottish harp.
They then headed out of the bright sunshine into the castle's 16th century Great Hall, where they saw a portrait of Tsar Nicholas II, the queen's distant cousin who was executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
Officials in London said that Putin had requested the visit to Edinburgh because of the historic ties between the Scottish capital and his home city of Saint Petersburg.
Scottish architects worked in Russia in the 18th century, including Charles Cameron, who moved to Russia in 1779 at the invitation of Catherine the Great, and was the architect at the Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk palaces outside Saint Petersburg.
For the British, the visit is a chance to showcase devolution, whereby Scotland's own parliament looks after social policy, education, rural affairs and judicial matters.
Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell said he was "delighted" that Putin had decided to visit Scotland.
"His visit clearly demonstrates that the post devolution profile of Scotland has dramatically increased. This is something that we must build on. I believe that Scotland is rediscovering its international identity," he said.
The brutal Russian war in separatist Chechnya cast a slight shadow over the event as a protester threw himself in front of Putin's car and was arrested by police.
Last weekend, Scottish lawmakers called on McConnell to raise the issue of alleged human rights abuses against Chechen civilians with Putin.
In the evening, Putin was to return to London for a dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of London in the Guildhall.
Putin, the first Russian leader to make a state visit to Britain since Alexander II in 1874, and his wife are staying four days at Buckingham Palace as guests of the queen in a calculated show of Anglo-Russian friendship.
Britain and Russia are hoping the highly ceremonial visit will put relations back on a solid footing after the dispute over Iraq and despite continuing tensions over Moscow's nuclear ties with Iran and the Chechen war.
Uh, no. Europe ends at the Urals. Russia is BY FAR the biggest country in Europe. And in Asia.
That is stupidist thing I hear here in long time....so guess Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania and Greece also not Europe? And what part Danube...since Danube run W to E...head water or mouth, north or south? If head water, then guess Poland, Hungary, Slovania, Slovakia, Czech, Ukraine, Romania, Moldovia, Belaruss, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia also not count?
Allow me educate you: Europe SE boundry: Caucus Mountains, E. boundry Ural Mountains.
Look, there's even a big line of ridges -- let's call them, oh, I dunno, "The Ural Mountains" -- showing where Europe ran into Asia (and vice versa). And some smaller ones in the south in yellow and light green. I could almost hazard a guess as to which two of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia those are, too . . .
What about the Middle East? Where is that?
Anyway, one of the questions echoed a question I heard on Jeopardy! last week. It was something along the lines of: "What is the most populous city in Europe?" Now, the obvious answer in London, which is the only city among the top 20 that I consider to be in Europe, but the correct answer according to both Jeopardy! and Trivial Pursuit was Moscow.
See, lots of confused people out there.
Strictly continent-wise, Turkey is split but mostly in Asia, and the Middle East is in Asia as well. I'm not entirely sure where the Asia-Africa split is; on one side or the other of the Sinai Peninsula, I'm thinking right at the Suez. Then there's the Asia-Oceania split; I'm not sure which islands are said to belong to the Asian continent and which are continent-less. Heck, in terms of tectonics, I believe the Philippines has its own plate!
Let me give you clue...all free. Russians are Slavs, eastern slavs who come from Bohemia, area where Slavs comes from...they intermix with Vargars...Norsemen...ghee, that make us EUROPEANS. We did not import Euro culture, we help create it. Last Saxon princess of England married Kieven Russ prince. Since historic capital of Russ, before mongols, was Kiev, that by your definition is Europe. Funny thing, St. Petersburg further west then Kiev, Moscow further West then third of Ukraine. Gee, geography...
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