Phnom Penh (FN), Jun. 12 – Below is remarks of Russian ambassador to Cambodia Anatoly Borovik on Russia Day.
“On 12 June, the Russian Federation marks its major national holiday – Russia Day. The Russian statehood is traced back to the late 9th century, and with time passing by, Russian people has always demonstrated their solidarity and common pursuit to continue building up the harmonious and prosperous country.
On this joyous occasion I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all Russians and friends of our country in Cambodia. This day symbolizes the memory of the great deeds of our forefathers, as well as gives us a chance once again to look back at our recent achievements and correct plans for our future.
With regard to the achievements of the past, one cannot but use this opportunity to praise the deeds of the first Russian Emperor Peter the Great, whose 350th anniversary is marked this year.
Back in 1672 when he was born, Russia was strongly stuck to its traditions and not very open for the interactions from abroad. Back then, she was gradually living through the modernization, though its pace was not enough to catch up with then leading Western powers. Nevertheless, the tireless endeavours of Peter I, who ascended the throne in 1682, his passion to novelty provided a strong impetus to Russia’s transformation. On the path of dramatic modernization Russia strengthened her army and created the navy that helped to ensure the national security and the country’s prosperity. The intense diplomatic activity developed by the Emperor, like the Great Embassy mission to Europe (1697-1698) led by Peter I, enhanced the diplomatic ties with the European countries.
Indeed it was not an easy period to live through due to the traditional social interactions shaken, innovations introduced, and the country been forced to react to the raids from the southern steppes, expansion of the Sweden power in the North, while fulfilling its own vast aspirations.
Nowadays we remember Peter the Great as one of the paramount figures in Russian history. “The whole knot of Russian life is here,” an outstanding writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy once marked about this person.
The foundation of new scientific and academic institutions paved the way to the future studies and discoveries. Among those is exploration of space. The first human flight into space by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961 and the construction of the first module space station MIR are followed nowadays by Russia’s contribution to the current functioning of the International Space Station, construction of space drives, as well as creation of the GLONASS satellite system etc.
Furthermore, Russia attaches great importance to the infrastructure development of the connectivity with the world. In this respect, with the Northern Sea Route running along the Russia’s north coast and being a promising international shipping route, our country is ensuring the researches and development of the Arctic territories. We continue to further advance the shipbuilding technologies in construction of the nuclear-powered ice-breakers, floating nuclear power plant (“Academic Lomonosov”) and ice-strengthened automatic platform “North Pole”.
Moreover, our specialists are working on the cyber infrastructure enhancement, including the super-computer networks and ICT security technologies, aiming at developing the united education, science and engineering cyber space, as well as ensuring the digital transformation of the society. In this respect, Russia is actively promoting the international dialogue on the international information security, aimed at ensuring the peaceful use of ICTs and conflict prevention in this area.
Besides that, recently the humanity had to respond to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, which caused more than 6,2 million people’s deaths. Amid that tragic period, the medical carders in every country have become the heroes, who saved people’s lives. Russian scientists and medical personnel as well fulfilled their professional duties in curing the diseased and ensuring the mass-production of the home-made vaccines, like Sputnik and COVIVAC.
One cannot but mention the geopolitical issues, facing Russia these days. The NATO’s expansion to the East, with its US led member states’ disregard to our country’s security concerns gravely deteriorated the situation in Europe. Our neighboring sister-nation of Ukraine fell the victim of the Westerners’ geopolitical tricks. The West was silent to the inculcation of neo-Nazi and radical nationalist ideology in Ukraine, to the 8 years of Kiev regime conducted shelling of the people of Donbass, but indulged the spread of aggressive Russophobia in that country.
After Russia’s key security concerns, put last December into the draft agreements with the US and NATO were ignored, and the Ukrainian authorities restarted their saber-rattling by gathering the troops and the West-supplied arms to launch a new punitive operation against Donbass, our country was forced to react. Nowadays our Armed Forces are doing their best to fulfill the objectives of the special military operation – to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, and to remove the threat to our national security and safety of our citizens, and the friendly people of Donetsk and Lugansk republics posed from the Ukrainian territory.
Despite the unilateral restrictions and deceitful allegations from the West, Russia is further advancing her economy, enhancing relations with our partners and work within the regional and international institutions in the interest of mutual benefit, equal partnership, and following the principles of respect to the independence, sovereignty, pragmatism, transparency and predictability. In this respect our country is welcoming partners around the world in Saint Petersburg at the 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, scheduled for 15-18 June.
In this respect, Russia continues to cherish its friendly relations with Cambodia, and fruitful dialogue with ASEAN. With the Kingdom now being not only ASEAN Chair but also ASEAN Country-Coordinator for ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership, we are looking forward to further advancement and implementation of the broad vistas of bilateral cooperation in trade and economy, science, technology and infrastructure development.
While marking the Russia Day, I would like to congratulate all Russian nationals in the Kingdom on this holiday. I am confident that together with the Cambodian partners we will be able to realize the great potential of the Russian-Cambodian interactions for the benefit of the two peoples.”
=FRESH NEWS
