Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

England Welcomes First Russian Leader

Aired June 24, 2003 - 15:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The table is set at Buckingham Palace for a historic banquet. Queen Elizabeth II is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife. The dinner is part of the first official state visit for Russia since the Bolshevik revolution.
You're looking at live pictures now.

CNN senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers, is standing by at Buckingham Palace to tell us more about this get together -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the guests are, indeed, coming to the dining hall at Buckingham Palace or will be soon arriving there. They are in the building now.

What makes this so historic, of course, is that Queen Elizabeth II has snubbed all previous Russian leaders. That is to say, she has never invited them for a state visit to England before.

Why? Well, it goes back to the Bolshevik revolution, the Russian revolution of 1917. In 1918, the queen's cousins, Queen Elizabeth's cousins, who were Czar Nicholas II and his wife, the Czarina Alexandra, who incidentally was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, were killed. They were brutally killed, along with their children, by the Bolsheviks, the communists.

And Queen Elizabeth and the royal family here in Britain never, ever forgave the communist for that. And it wasn't until the communists were swept from power in the Kremlin that a state visit like this could occur, where the queen could invite a Russian head of state here and treat him royally. And that's what we're seeing today, which is one reason it makes it so very significant in a historical sense.

There is, of course, an official visit -- that is government to government -- later in the week, when President Putin meets Prime Minister Blair on Downing Street. But that really is eclipsed by what we've seen here today, the queen deciding to let bygones be bygones and try to heal the past of very bad blood between her family and the Russian government over the years.

PHILLIPS: Walter, also, you know you talk about the past and history. Let's talk about also the tension with regard to the war in Iraq. Obviously, feelings of Putin and Tony Blair. Let's talk a little bit more about that and how possibly this meeting could mend senses in that regard. RODGERS: Well, I think both sides would like to see that happen. Recall that about 15 years Mikhail Gorbachev wisely said that Europe is a common home for both the Russians, the Britons and all Europeans. And, indeed, that's the case.

The British are eager to move past the divide that is the acrimony which broke out between them and the Russian government over the war in Iraq. Recall the Russians sided with the French and Germans and against the Americans and the British. They very much opposed the war in Iraq.

On April 29, Mr. Putin, the Russian president, excoriated Tony Blair in Moscow, ridiculing him for not finding any weapons of mass destruction and letting Saddam Hussein slip through the ally's fingers. Now we think the British have moved beyond that. There are very clear economic interests that they have in common, but there is one outstanding sore point here which the British won't make too much of but they can't let slip by.

Human rights campaigners in Europe are beginning to demand a better accounting from the Russians for the allegedly brutal treatment of Chechen rebels as the Russians continue to try to quash the rebellion there. As I say, human rights campaigners would like to see Mr. Blair raise this issue with the Russian president, but it won't be a serious face-to-face discussion. It will be merely, we have our concerns, please do something about this -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers standing by live at Buckingham Palace. We'll come back to you once the queen has arrived, also Russian President Vladimir Putin. Especially if they give remarks.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Live pictures, little piece of history. First time since the czar times. A state dinner at Buckingham Palace.

There you see her majesty, Elizabeth, the queen of England entertaining Vladimir Putin, who you see screen right there. An official state visit by the Russian leader. And off they enter into a formal dining hall which will take your breath away there at Buckingham Palace.

Lots of toasts to come, and we will be dipping into this throughout the rest of the evening their time to give you a sense of the pageantry of the moment. A lot of symbolism here, and, quite frankly, a diplomatic squabble as a pretext for all of this. Right now everybody putting on a good face, but nonetheless, the war in Iraq brought great divisions between Vladimir Putin and Russia and Tony Blair's government. and at this point trying to find some common ground.

PHILLIPS: We are told the Russian President Vladimir Putin was actually greeted by Prince Charles as he arrived in London today. The music beginning as they enter. Part of the formalities of a royal reception such as this.

We are told that Charles was among a host of dignitaries waiting on the red carpet to greet Putin in his private plane that arrived at Heathrow Airport. After a short meeting in a VIP suite, Putin and his wife left for the official reception that you're seeing now here in central London.

We're going to bring Walter Rodgers back in. He's live outside Buckingham Palace. Let's listen in, though, for just a few moments, Walter. And then we'll bring you in to talk about the formality of this reception and what it means.

Listening to "God Save the Queen." Her majesty, along with the Russian president, his wife, and also Prince Charles sitting down with their guests. Also with them Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Walter Rodgers outside of Buckingham Palace as the royal reception here begins. First time for a Russian head of state to visit Britain. More than 130 years, actually. The last time was Czar Alexander II in 1874.

Same type of fanfare and pomp to take place. Walter Rodgers, let's talk about if we could, just quickly, the guest list. Just looking at this group at this royal reception and, I'm even noticing some gentleman in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), probably a political and religious mix of sorts. How did the queen design the guest list for this incredible and historic event?

RODGERS: Well, of course, she would not have designed it herself with perhaps a few exceptions. This is the seminal event of royalty of the year.

You were referring, by the way, to the fact that this is the first state visit by a Russian head of state since Czar Alexander II in 1874. Recall Queen Victoria was on the throne in those days, and one of the things that occurred to me as I was watching the queen and President Putin walk in, this is a real historical irony. Russia and Britain had the very same national anthem in those days.

The Russian national anthem is...

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers, her majesty is about to make remarks.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: ... welcome you and Mrs. Putin to London. By coming here, you give Prince Philip and me a chance to repay the generous hospitality given to us on my state visit to Russia in 1994. And to underline once more the close friendship between our two countries.

Our ties extend far back into history. This year is a particularly appropriate one for your visit, as it sees the 450th anniversary of Richard Chancellor's voyage when he set out from England to establish a trading route to the East, landed near (UNINTELLIGIBLE), made his way to Moscow and was presented to Czar Ivan IV, an occasion which marked the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.

Since then, this relationship has grown in importance to us both through good times and bad. Those of my generation in Britain have special pause to remember the unimaginable sacrifice the Russian people made to defeat fascism in the second world war. Nothing, not even the fact that our countries became estranged in the war's aftermath, has ever dimmed our memory of the scale of your loss. That experience should continue to inspire us, as we seek to build a more peaceful and secure world.

When I visited your country in 1994, I recall saying to President Yeltsin that he and I have spent most of our lives believing such a visit could never happen, and that I hoped he was as delighted as I was to be proved wrong. I'm just as delighted now, nine years later, to be able to welcome you here and to learn about the great changes which have occurred in your country since I was there.

Russia has established itself as our partner and our friend. We work together bilaterally and on the international stage. And we are developing new links all the time in fields of commerce, culture, counterterrorism, of energy, education, environment. I know you will be seeing evidence of some of this during your visit.

Mr. President, it is, I believe, a sign of genuine friendship that we are able to have disagreements, but remain firm partners. It is no secret that there were significant differences between our two countries earlier this year on how best to handle Iraq. But we are now able to look forward together firmly in agreement on the route we have decided in the United Nations, although the tragic loss of British lives today reminds us all of the difficulties to be faced.

But as we look ahead, we know that our long-term partnership is of profound importance to both of us. This is clearly evident if we look beyond the challenges of international politics. In the last few months alone, we have heard the announcements of major investments in Russia by British companies.

We have also heard a different sound of Sir Paul McCartney playing to enthusiastic crowds in Red Square. And we, in turn, have been enthralled by the celebrations of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of your own city, St. Petersburg.

At the same time, work continues to bring the young people of our countries closer together through language, teaching, school exchanges and university programs. We have a vibrant and exciting relationship from which we both derive immense benefit.

Mr. President, your country is rich in culture and history...

PHILLIPS: Queen Elizabeth II -- Queen Elizabeth II with opening remarks there at Buckingham Palace. By her side, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Our Walter Rodgers standing by live outside Buckingham Palace.

Quite a historic moment, not only for the Russian president, but also for the royalty in England -- Walter.

RODGERS: That's true, but the queen's remarks also had some very important political statements made in them. She acknowledges the differences between Russia and Great Britain over the recent war in Iraq. But she said it is time to move beyond those differences. And on more than a few occasions in her welcoming remarks at the state dinner this evening at Buckingham Palace, she kept referring to the historic partnership between Russia and the United Kingdom.

And again, of course she paid the obligatory and more than important tribute to the 20 million Russians who died in the second world war fighting fascism, as she recalled. She called it nazism, where both the British and the Russians were fighting on the same side. So that was a very skilled, political speech we just heard her deliver, welcoming President Putin to Buckingham Palace -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 24, 2003 - 15:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The table is set at Buckingham Palace for a historic banquet. Queen Elizabeth II is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife. The dinner is part of the first official state visit for Russia since the Bolshevik revolution.
You're looking at live pictures now.

CNN senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers, is standing by at Buckingham Palace to tell us more about this get together -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the guests are, indeed, coming to the dining hall at Buckingham Palace or will be soon arriving there. They are in the building now.

What makes this so historic, of course, is that Queen Elizabeth II has snubbed all previous Russian leaders. That is to say, she has never invited them for a state visit to England before.

Why? Well, it goes back to the Bolshevik revolution, the Russian revolution of 1917. In 1918, the queen's cousins, Queen Elizabeth's cousins, who were Czar Nicholas II and his wife, the Czarina Alexandra, who incidentally was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, were killed. They were brutally killed, along with their children, by the Bolsheviks, the communists.

And Queen Elizabeth and the royal family here in Britain never, ever forgave the communist for that. And it wasn't until the communists were swept from power in the Kremlin that a state visit like this could occur, where the queen could invite a Russian head of state here and treat him royally. And that's what we're seeing today, which is one reason it makes it so very significant in a historical sense.

There is, of course, an official visit -- that is government to government -- later in the week, when President Putin meets Prime Minister Blair on Downing Street. But that really is eclipsed by what we've seen here today, the queen deciding to let bygones be bygones and try to heal the past of very bad blood between her family and the Russian government over the years.

PHILLIPS: Walter, also, you know you talk about the past and history. Let's talk about also the tension with regard to the war in Iraq. Obviously, feelings of Putin and Tony Blair. Let's talk a little bit more about that and how possibly this meeting could mend senses in that regard. RODGERS: Well, I think both sides would like to see that happen. Recall that about 15 years Mikhail Gorbachev wisely said that Europe is a common home for both the Russians, the Britons and all Europeans. And, indeed, that's the case.

The British are eager to move past the divide that is the acrimony which broke out between them and the Russian government over the war in Iraq. Recall the Russians sided with the French and Germans and against the Americans and the British. They very much opposed the war in Iraq.

On April 29, Mr. Putin, the Russian president, excoriated Tony Blair in Moscow, ridiculing him for not finding any weapons of mass destruction and letting Saddam Hussein slip through the ally's fingers. Now we think the British have moved beyond that. There are very clear economic interests that they have in common, but there is one outstanding sore point here which the British won't make too much of but they can't let slip by.

Human rights campaigners in Europe are beginning to demand a better accounting from the Russians for the allegedly brutal treatment of Chechen rebels as the Russians continue to try to quash the rebellion there. As I say, human rights campaigners would like to see Mr. Blair raise this issue with the Russian president, but it won't be a serious face-to-face discussion. It will be merely, we have our concerns, please do something about this -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers standing by live at Buckingham Palace. We'll come back to you once the queen has arrived, also Russian President Vladimir Putin. Especially if they give remarks.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Live pictures, little piece of history. First time since the czar times. A state dinner at Buckingham Palace.

There you see her majesty, Elizabeth, the queen of England entertaining Vladimir Putin, who you see screen right there. An official state visit by the Russian leader. And off they enter into a formal dining hall which will take your breath away there at Buckingham Palace.

Lots of toasts to come, and we will be dipping into this throughout the rest of the evening their time to give you a sense of the pageantry of the moment. A lot of symbolism here, and, quite frankly, a diplomatic squabble as a pretext for all of this. Right now everybody putting on a good face, but nonetheless, the war in Iraq brought great divisions between Vladimir Putin and Russia and Tony Blair's government. and at this point trying to find some common ground.

PHILLIPS: We are told the Russian President Vladimir Putin was actually greeted by Prince Charles as he arrived in London today. The music beginning as they enter. Part of the formalities of a royal reception such as this.

We are told that Charles was among a host of dignitaries waiting on the red carpet to greet Putin in his private plane that arrived at Heathrow Airport. After a short meeting in a VIP suite, Putin and his wife left for the official reception that you're seeing now here in central London.

We're going to bring Walter Rodgers back in. He's live outside Buckingham Palace. Let's listen in, though, for just a few moments, Walter. And then we'll bring you in to talk about the formality of this reception and what it means.

Listening to "God Save the Queen." Her majesty, along with the Russian president, his wife, and also Prince Charles sitting down with their guests. Also with them Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Walter Rodgers outside of Buckingham Palace as the royal reception here begins. First time for a Russian head of state to visit Britain. More than 130 years, actually. The last time was Czar Alexander II in 1874.

Same type of fanfare and pomp to take place. Walter Rodgers, let's talk about if we could, just quickly, the guest list. Just looking at this group at this royal reception and, I'm even noticing some gentleman in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), probably a political and religious mix of sorts. How did the queen design the guest list for this incredible and historic event?

RODGERS: Well, of course, she would not have designed it herself with perhaps a few exceptions. This is the seminal event of royalty of the year.

You were referring, by the way, to the fact that this is the first state visit by a Russian head of state since Czar Alexander II in 1874. Recall Queen Victoria was on the throne in those days, and one of the things that occurred to me as I was watching the queen and President Putin walk in, this is a real historical irony. Russia and Britain had the very same national anthem in those days.

The Russian national anthem is...

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers, her majesty is about to make remarks.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: ... welcome you and Mrs. Putin to London. By coming here, you give Prince Philip and me a chance to repay the generous hospitality given to us on my state visit to Russia in 1994. And to underline once more the close friendship between our two countries.

Our ties extend far back into history. This year is a particularly appropriate one for your visit, as it sees the 450th anniversary of Richard Chancellor's voyage when he set out from England to establish a trading route to the East, landed near (UNINTELLIGIBLE), made his way to Moscow and was presented to Czar Ivan IV, an occasion which marked the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.

Since then, this relationship has grown in importance to us both through good times and bad. Those of my generation in Britain have special pause to remember the unimaginable sacrifice the Russian people made to defeat fascism in the second world war. Nothing, not even the fact that our countries became estranged in the war's aftermath, has ever dimmed our memory of the scale of your loss. That experience should continue to inspire us, as we seek to build a more peaceful and secure world.

When I visited your country in 1994, I recall saying to President Yeltsin that he and I have spent most of our lives believing such a visit could never happen, and that I hoped he was as delighted as I was to be proved wrong. I'm just as delighted now, nine years later, to be able to welcome you here and to learn about the great changes which have occurred in your country since I was there.

Russia has established itself as our partner and our friend. We work together bilaterally and on the international stage. And we are developing new links all the time in fields of commerce, culture, counterterrorism, of energy, education, environment. I know you will be seeing evidence of some of this during your visit.

Mr. President, it is, I believe, a sign of genuine friendship that we are able to have disagreements, but remain firm partners. It is no secret that there were significant differences between our two countries earlier this year on how best to handle Iraq. But we are now able to look forward together firmly in agreement on the route we have decided in the United Nations, although the tragic loss of British lives today reminds us all of the difficulties to be faced.

But as we look ahead, we know that our long-term partnership is of profound importance to both of us. This is clearly evident if we look beyond the challenges of international politics. In the last few months alone, we have heard the announcements of major investments in Russia by British companies.

We have also heard a different sound of Sir Paul McCartney playing to enthusiastic crowds in Red Square. And we, in turn, have been enthralled by the celebrations of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of your own city, St. Petersburg.

At the same time, work continues to bring the young people of our countries closer together through language, teaching, school exchanges and university programs. We have a vibrant and exciting relationship from which we both derive immense benefit.

Mr. President, your country is rich in culture and history...

PHILLIPS: Queen Elizabeth II -- Queen Elizabeth II with opening remarks there at Buckingham Palace. By her side, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Our Walter Rodgers standing by live outside Buckingham Palace.

Quite a historic moment, not only for the Russian president, but also for the royalty in England -- Walter.

RODGERS: That's true, but the queen's remarks also had some very important political statements made in them. She acknowledges the differences between Russia and Great Britain over the recent war in Iraq. But she said it is time to move beyond those differences. And on more than a few occasions in her welcoming remarks at the state dinner this evening at Buckingham Palace, she kept referring to the historic partnership between Russia and the United Kingdom.

And again, of course she paid the obligatory and more than important tribute to the 20 million Russians who died in the second world war fighting fascism, as she recalled. She called it nazism, where both the British and the Russians were fighting on the same side. So that was a very skilled, political speech we just heard her deliver, welcoming President Putin to Buckingham Palace -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter Rodgers, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com