By Kawthar Lanbari

Manama: (BNA – Jan. 1) The Russian ambassador to Bahrain said there should be no foreign interference in the Kingdom’s domestic affairs and insisted that acts of violence and terror lead nowhere.

“Our position is that there could be no foreign interference in the Bahraini internal affairs,” Victor Smirnov said. “Bahrainis should solve their problems by themselves. They can do it, absolutely. Every Bahraini should protect their country and keep their country in very good form. Every Bahraini should try to do their best to improve the situation, to solve the crisis. His Majesty’s addresses to the Bahrainis about the nation are very important,” the ambassador said in an interview with Bahrain News Agency (BNA).
He added that acts of terror and violence should not be condoned in any way.

“We condemn violence decisively. This is not the way to solve problems. People who perpetrate acts of terrorism, extremism should know that they are the way to nowhere, particularly when the youth is involved. Young people have a lot of choices today and they have a lot of possibilities to use a mode of communication other than to instigate each other for violence, extremism and terrorism and to practice it. I really cannot accept this,” he said.

Dialogue should be the option to follow in order to address problematic situations, he said.

“Since the very beginning of the crisis in Bahrain, we took very distinctly the position that Bahrainis themselves should solve this crisis. The National Dialogue [is the platform]. There is no other chance than to sit and to talk effectively, to talk constructively, and to talk in the interests of the whole Bahraini nation irrespective of concessions. Our main position is that Bahrainis should solve their problems by themselves, through the National Dialogue. I stress that we support the course of reforms initiated by His Majesty in different social, economic and political fields. And those reforms can be achieved through the National Dialogue,” he said.

Ambassador Smirnov said that Bahrain was politically, humanitarianly, economically larger and bigger more than its territory.

“This is my understanding. People say that Bahrain is a gateway to the Gulf and I have nothing against this assessment. We are working with Bahrain and we are trying to see the Gulf region. We hope to arrange in Bahrain the Russia-GCC Trade Commercial Exhibition at the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015. I think it will be a big event where Russian investors and people of industry can present themselves and the same with the Gulf people. I should tell honestly that there are possibilities in our industrial and technological exchanges. The possibilities are there and we should do it because we see the Gulf as a partner in international relations. The Gulf is an advanced region with good chances for investments and making joint investment projects. So, these are our partners and we see Bahrain as definitely friendly,” he said.

Ambassador Smirnov stressed that relations between Bahrain and Russia have been steadily growing.

“I have been an ambassador here for more than five years and during those years there was not a minute that I can say in which Bahraini Russian relations were not friendly. Our ties are friendly and developing steadily. I am very lucky that my service as ambassador started with the historical visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Moscow, his negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation and signing memorandums on cooperation in several fields. So, it gives us, and me personally, an impetus to develop bilateral relations in a friendly manner. I am very glad that we have a lot of political understanding on many, many regional and international issues. We have a good cooperation within the United Nations, within the Human Rights Council, and I can say that Bahrain supports the Russian concept of regional security. Our concept was worked out in 2007and it is very important for us,” he said.

“Last year when Bahrain chaired the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), we also had close contacts. My Minister of Foreign Affairs [Sergey] Lavrov met with the GCC troika headed by Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa in New York in September. There are, as is usual within diplomatic circles, different views, for example on the Syrian settlement, but Bahrain from the very first minute understood the importance of a political settlement of this very dangerous crisis. Minister [Sergey] Vershinin, our special representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and head of the Middle East and North Africa Department in the Foreign Ministry, was received here by Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Foreign Minister, and they continued this exchange of views,” he said.

Fields of cooperation were not confined to political matters, the diplomat said.

“I am very happy that we have full understanding with Shaikha Mai, the Minister of Culture, and last year we were happy to present to Bahraini audience a few programmes starting from the Russian Ballet Masters presenting their talents on the stage of the new Bahraini theatre. We then exchanged Days of Russian Culture in Bahrain and Bahrain Culture in Moscow. I am very happy Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, [wife of HM the King and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Women], visited Saint Petersburg, opening the Tylos Exhibition in this one of the main museums. We now have in the National Museum of Bahrain the Russian Cotton Print Exhibition of Clothes for two months, best textile products of the Russian culture, art, and industry is presented and many people visited it. Bahrain culture was presented in Moscow, the Bahrain Pearls Exhibition was presented in the Museum of Art in Moscow and Russian and Bahraini artists, including Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, presented their works ther,” he said.

“We are trying to widen our relations in economy and in investment field. It is not easy. But, it is not easy due to traditions and the absence of historical ties between businessmen. Our trade ways, so to say, are in different directions. We hope that someday we shall open our cooperation in gas field. There are good possibilities for that, in the aluminum field, including Russian textologists to be brought to Alba, or cooperation between RussAl and Alba. Unfortunately the situation of the aluminum market is not very favourable now. To this, we have plans to make joint projects in the financial field. We also hope that the Russian Railways Company will participate in building this wide railway net which connects the Gulf States. We have the possibilities for that, and the Russian Railways Company is one of the strongest economic organizations. In the investment field, we are also waiting for Bahraini investors to come to Russia. We have a Direct Investment Fund where several GCC countries are participating now. We hope Bahrain will come,” he said.

The veteran diplomat said that the economic cooperation should pave the way for new high-level political contacts.

“I pray that someday my career here will conclude with top-level visits. As to Russian visitors, we are waiting a Very Important Person, Mr. [Viktor] Zubkov, who was twice already here in Bahrain in the capacity of Deputy Prime Minister but now he is the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Oil and Gas and he is also the Chairman of Gasprom Company. In Bahrain, he held negotiations with Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa. I think he is invited again to participate in the Air Show and he accepted this invitation. And I am sure he will be a welcomed guest at this great event. We are working hard for the Bahrain Air Show. It is an absolutely amazing show, and five Russian pilots will contribute to this Air Show. Our Russian Knights two years ago were with four Sokhoy-27 planes. Now they will be five. They will make aerobic pilotage during the Air Show, and it is absolutely amazing. They are one of the few groups who are making pilotage on the combat-fighters Sokhoy-27s. Russia will be represented very well,” he said.

The diplomat expressed satisfaction with the official and popular efforts to elevate the status of women in the Kingdom.

“I am very deeply involved in the issue of women’s rights, because my mother for long was involved and she was the Editor of the magazine “Women of the World” of the International Federation. When I see the activities of woemn, when I see those women who were awarded by His Majesty during the last ceremony, when I see those beautiful women feeling themselves very free in City Centre, I understand that Bahrain’s equality of woman is on the right and you are very proud of your country and of your status. Yes, there are Islamic traditions, an Islamic heritage, and again it is your right which you respect to be more or to be less under these traditions and under this heritage – Islamic heritage. I know that not everything is solved and that there are problems and discussions in the society and that in the Parliament, there are different views. This is normal. Women are moving and are becoming more and more equal in their rights and in their participation,” he said.

“As for human rights, there is a problem which should be solved. You are doing your best and you are trying to address it. We have contacts with Bahrainis about this issue. I have had a lot of talks about this with the Foreign Ministry, the Minister of Human Rights Salah Ali, and the Bahraini delegation on the Human Rights Council in Geneva. We have a common vision that problems that are remaining after the crisis will be properly solved. There are also international organizations that have a list of questions, but the way you responded to this, the way you cooperated with these organizations is also a good sign that your understanding of the human rights problem develops in a normal, proper way. Problems exist. Who does not have a problem? This a general situation, but you wish to solve them and to remove them. You are trying to do, but at the same time, when I live on Budaiya Highway, when I see every day clashes between the police and youths, I find it an abnormal situation. This is not human rights. Tyres on roads? this is abnormal. Sooner or later it should be solved.

Ambassador Smirnov said that there were around 200 Russians living in Bahrain.

“There are lawyers, engineers, doctors, physicians, baby-sitters and mamas – all strata of the community,” he said. “However, the Russian speaking community includes former Soviet Union citizens, from Ukraine and Belarus for example, and former graduates from the Soviet Union and Russian universities, and also from Ukrainian universities and other universities. At the New Year Reception which the Ambassador of Russia hosts every December and the last one was on December 11, there were people from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan … We are all together because we all have a common heritage. I welcomed a new organization here which is called the Bahraini Association of Russian-Speaking which was created by former students who studied in Russia and the Soviet Union. Lawyer Ibrahim Zainal who graduated from Saint Petersburg is leading this organisation, and I hope we shall cooperate with this it.”

In his message to Bahrainis on the National Days and the New Year, Ambassador Smirnov offered his best wishes and reiterated his country’s friendship.

“I wish first of all stability for this country, to preserve stability, to have peace, security. I wish that everyone loves his or her country the way he or she loves his or her mother. And I wish you to respect the order, I wish you to be good friends of Russia because we are your friends and we hope for better relations. We wish next year will bring us a lot of new projects and good things,” he said”

Ambassador Victor Yurievich SMIRNOV

Born in 1955
Graduated from Moscow State Institute for International Relations in 1977
Holds Doctorate Degree in History
Joined Diplomatic Service in 1980
1985-1989 – USSR Embassy in Egypt
1992-1996 and 1998-2004 – Russian Embassy in Israel
Since 2004 – Deputy Director, Middle East and Northern Africa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Holds Diplomatic Rank of Minister Extraordinary Plenipotentiary
Married, with two children
According to the Presidential Decree № 100 dated January 28, 2008 Mr. Victor Smirnov was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Kawthar Lanbari