#3 - RW 263
The Guardian (UK)
June 25, 2003
Trade provides the circumstance for pomp
Putin on state visit while Russian war continues in Chechnya
By Jonathan Steele

It is one thing to wake up and find a loner sitting on the edge of your bed, or have a gatecrasher dressed as Osama bin Laden kiss your grandson at his birthday party, but state visits can also be quite an intrusion.

The choice of the guest is not up to the Queen. The government proposes and the Queen has to dispose. Yesterday's imposed guest was Vladimir Putin, a KGB intelligence officer in East Germany 14 years ago who did not foresee that the country was about to implode. Now President of Russia, he follows in a long line of people the Queen has had to sit next to in an open landau, smiling dutifully to a patchy crowd in the Mall.

Ceausescu, Mobutu, Mugabe and Suharto have all passed along this avenue of official flattery, as well as three different kings of Saudi Arabia and the last king of Iraq, who was toppled and killed two years after his stay in Buckingham Palace. The Foreign Office had recommended that they were all well in charge of their important countries and Britain must be friendly with them.

As the sun glinted on the swords of mounted Guards and saluting guns boomed from Green Park, the first dispute of Mr Putin's visit was already breaking out. The Foreign Office was claiming that the last Russian to be honoured with the pomp and ceremony of a state welcome was Tsar Alexander II, in 1874. He had come to watch his daughter marry Queen Victoria's son but "there were aspects of a state visit", a British official insisted. Alexander was a serial philanderer who liberated the serfs and got himself assassinated seven years after his trip to London.

The Kremlin does not accept that was a real state visit. It says the last Russian leader to get one was Tsar Nicholas I, in 1844. He was a conservative nationalist who got Russia into war with Britain over the Crimea - an image which may better conform to the current top man.

Spectators, mainly tourists, gave a mixed verdict in the Mall yesterday. "Putin is an impressive character, quite a charismatic and effective leader. Of course, Russia is a total shambles and Chechnya is depressing. I wouldn't like his job", said Janet Preston, from, New Zealand.

Caroline Finkel, a British resident of Turkey who is back home on a visit, said: "It's outrageous. They've been trying to suppress the Chechens for 300 years. Everyone calls their opponents terrorists and that gives them a licence to kill."

Brenda Collinson, of Bristol, admitted she was not there for the Queen or Mr Putin. "My grandson's in the Coldstream Guards. He's the one over there, the second from the right," she said. As for the Russian president, she had no strong impression but agreed with her friend who said "I wouldn't say he's nice".

"Stop the war in Chechnya," shouted a lone protester, a human rights activist from Norway.

British officials say the visit was timed for this year because it is the 450th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Russia and the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg, Manchester's twin city and Mr Putin's home town. Improving British business links with Russia will be a key focus of the three-day visit.

BP and Shell have just signed huge contracts for oil exploration in Russia, putting Britain in the unusual position of being the largest single investor in Russia and outstripping Germany, according to British officials. Mr Blair and Mr Putin will jointly open a big energy conference at Lancaster House tomorrow.

The two men will have only half an hour of private talks. They will cover Russia's insistence that pre-war oil contracts in Iraq be honoured, and its argument that pressure on Iran to open its nuclear programme to inspection should not prevent Russia from trading there.

Human rights advocates have been urging the prime minister to press the Russian leader to curb the repression of Chechen civilians by Russian forces. Human Rights Watch says Russia has ignored two resolutions by the United Nations commission on human rights, calling for the UN's special rapporteur on torture and extra-judicial executions to be allowed to visit Chechnya.

Mr Blair recently praised Mr Putin's "anti-terror efforts" and called a referendum on a new constitution held in Chechnya an "important step forward", even though few Chechens voted. Amnesty International's UK director, Kate Allen, said: "For too long... world leaders have stayed quiet over gross human rights abuses in Chechnya."

Brilliant spectacle of the imperial visit

Alexander II was the last Russian head of state to visit Britain - in 1874. This is how the Manchester Guardian reported his visit

May 16 1874

Yesterday the principal event in connection with the visit of the Emperor of Russia was an excursion to Virginia Water. Early in the morning His Imperial Majesty walked on the terrace, accompanied by some of the Royal and Imperial families, and subsequently the Czar inspected St George's Chapel. Whilst the Emperor and the other royal visitors were in the building Sir George Elvey performed a selection of music, including the Russian Hymn, a slow movement from one of Mozart's quartettes in D, and an air with variations composed by Sir G Elvey.

After luncheon, the Queen, Czar, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Grand Duke Alexis, Princess Beatrice, Prince Arthur, the Princess Louise, the Marquis of Lorne, Prince and Princess Christian, attended by anumerous suite, visited Virginia Water. Her Majesty the Queen, the Czar, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were driven in the royal carriage and four. The Prince of Wales was amongst those of the party who rode over to Virginia Water.

No better opportunity could have been afforded to His Majesty of seeing English rural scenery than this excursion through the loveliest parts of Berkshire. The drive up the long walk and the ride from Bishop's Gate to Virginia Water offers to the gaze a scenic panorama of extreme beauty. In the Swiss cottage, better known as the Fishing Temple, the Royal party took tea, and then the Emperor and the Princes were rowed in the state barge on the lake, rounding the toy frigate which is moored in its unruffled waters.

The weather was fortunately fine until the Royal party had completed their tour of inspection and had left Virginia Water ... Then the little group of country folk who had been interested and gratified spectators of the royal visit bent their steps homeward as the royal party had done.

In the evening, at a quarter to eight o'clock, Her Majesty entertained her Imperial, Royal, and other guests to a number of about 150 at a grand banquet in St George's Hall. These of the invited coming from London were conveyed by a special Great Western train, which left Paddington at 6.23.

At Windsor the whole length of the platform was laid with a handsome carpet, and when the guests alighted the interior of the station presented a brilliant spectacle.

St George's Hall was splendidly decorated. The table, stretching from end to end of the vast banqueting room for a distance of 150 feet, was adorned with gold candlesticks. At each end of the latter the massive sideboards were loaded with the valuable collection of gold and silver plate. When filled with the brilliantly-attired guests the appearance was dazzling in the extreme.

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