Gleb A. Ivashentsov,

Ambassador of Russia

to the Republic of Korea

Address at the Embassy reception

on the occasion of

The Day of Russia

June 12, 2007

�������� Dear Guests and Colleagues,

�������� I am glad to see you here on the occasion of the Day of Russia.

We are happy with recent developments in my country. Not only has Russia now made a full turn-around after years of industrial decline. She has become the world�s ninth biggest economy. People�s real incomes have more than doubled since 2000.

The democratic institutions are getting strengthened and more advanced. A beneficial effect in this regard is provided by the rapid expansion of our information and media space. The last four years have seen a 40-percent increase in the number of the registered print media, and an almost 2.5 fold increase in the number of electronic media outlets. The number of Russians regularly using the Internet has increased more than four fold over this period and now exceeds 25 million people.

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�������� With her internal consolidation Russia once again is turning into an influential factor in the world politics and economics. Earlier than many, Russia was able to comprehend the lessons of the Cold War and to give up ideology in favour of common sense. To protect our security we neither want to form any new �Holy alliances� based on ideological solidarity nor push forward ultimatums that throw everyone into confusion. Russia sees the best way to that by promoting a constructive dialogue and equal cooperation with all countries without exception.

�������� Our relations with the Republic of Korea are good example of such partnership. Moscow has actively interacted with Seoul at the UN and other international forums to make the world a more democratic, a more fair and therefore � a much safer place. We in Russia highly appreciate the constructive foreign policy of the Republic of Korea. We consider the further strengthening of her independent role in the international affairs, especially in the North-East Asia, to be corresponding to large extent to the interests of peace and security in the region and beyond. The trustful nature of the Russian-Korean cooperation is well proved by the fast growing cooperation in strategic fields of oil and gas industries as well as in high-tech spheres of peaceful exploration of outer space and nuclear energy.

�������� To good-neighborly relations and strengthening interaction between Russia and the Republic of Korea!