The Hindu : Putin's big show gets underway

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 31, 2003

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Putin's big show gets underway

By Amit Baruah

Heads of states assembled at St.Lsaac's cathedral in St.Peterbarg. Russia on Friday to take part in the Tercentenary Celebrations of the City.

ST. PETERSBURG May 30. It is the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's big show. Until the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, this city on the Neva River was the capital of the Great Russian Empire for some 200 years.

On May 27, 1703, Peter the Great laid the foundation of the city and on May 30, Mr. Putin, has invited more than 40 heads of State/Government to celebrate the tercentenary of the city. For, Mr. Putin it is a big day. All the 15 members of the European Union are here, so are members of the erstwhile Soviet Union.

The U.S. President, George W. Bush, a ``great pal'' till the Iraq war, will also be here. The city, whose name was changed to Leningrad by the Soviets, is virtually a ghost town for the celebrations.

The 900-day siege of the city was broken by the forces led by Marshal Zhukov on August 8, 1944, the ultimate gift the Soviets gave the ``free world'' in safeguarding democracy. After landing at the Pulkova airport, the Indian media contingent saw screaming police patrol cars leading limousines and their dignitary occupants to different hotels across the city.

The airport itself was dotted by airplanes from Japan, Germany, China and Kazakhastan — tell-tale signs that their leaders were already in the city. For the day, apart from shaking the hands of visitors at the statue of The Bronze Horseman, Mr. Putin has arranged a ship all the way from Sweden to be berthed on the Neva river.

The Russian President is scheduled to host a grand dinner for his colleagues on board the ``Silver Whisper'', a luxury liner. The ship is stationary and is not about to sail away with the dignitaries on board. It will be pomp and ceremony all the way, but diplomats believe that Mr. Putin is signaling to the world, especially to Europe, that St. Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland is the window to Europe. The pomp and ceremony also signal that Russia is a European power and the need for the European Union to look more closely at Russia.

On the domestic front, Mr. Putin is, perhaps, giving to his people a sense that their country is still a great power, one that still counts for something on the world stage notwithstanding the unilateralist tendencies on view. Of late, the United States has taken pains to rebuild a difficult relationship, which Mr. Putin is clearly keen to build.

There are several issues still to be resolved — not the least being that it remains outside the World Trade Organisation — while recognised as a member of the G-8. But, as a world leader, and representative of a Great State, Mr. Putin is not about to indulge in any acrimony. The birthday bash is the only thing on his mind. For India, the invitation to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, is a special honour. Apart from the P-5, the G-8, the European Union, the CIS and former constituents of the Soviet Union, there is only India the ``outsider''.

Is not Mr. Putin sending the signal that India is very important to Russia? A message that one friend is sending to another. Just before midnight, the Russian President has found time to speak to Mr. Vajpayee on board the Silver Whisper. Pomp and ceremony may all be here, but the birthday bash is also about Mr. Putin's undoubted diplomatic skills.

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