MOSCOW, October 23 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will receive credentials from new Ambassadors of 19 countries, and from the Permanent Representative of the European Union, the Kremlin press service reported.
Among those invited to the Kremlin will be Ronald Van Dartel, a new Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He will present his credentials against the background of strain that arose in relations between Russia and Holland in view of the beating of a Russian diplomat in the Hague and the incident involving a Dutch diplomat in Moscow. Besides, the Nethelrands came out against the detention of Greenpeace activists by Russian authorities, appealing to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg.
Earlier this week, Putin held a telephone conversation with Dutch Premier Mark Rutte, during which the sides discussed, in particular, the situation concerning Russia's diplomatic mission in the Hague, and reaffirmed that a visit of Willem-Alexander, the King of the Netherlands, to Moscow on November 8 -- for attending the ceremony marking the closure of the reciprocal Year of Russia and the Year of the Netherlands -- still holds.
The following Ambassadors will arrive at the Kremlin: Ismail Shafik Mohsen of Iraq, Vygaudas Usackas of the European Union, Marid Godinho de Matos of Portugal, Thomas Winkler of Denmark, Primozh Sheligo of Slovenia, Owen Finbar O'Leary of Ireland, and Leidulv Namtvedt of Norway. The following Ambassadors will also present their credential to the President of Russia: Shauki Fares Bou Nassar of Lebanon, Abassala Yussuf of Chad, Alamgir Bashar Khan Babar of Pakistan, Mario Saraiva Ngwenya of Mozambique, Ramon Antero Diaz Pereira of Paraguay, Gabriel Sosa Garcia de Paredes of Panama, Juan Vicente Paredes Torrealba of Venezuela, Georgos Kasoulides of Cyprus, and Shuher Altangerel of Mongolia.
Ambassadresses Astra Kurme of Latvia, Danae-Magdalini Kumanaku of Greece, and Indira Savitree Thacoor-Sidaya of the Republic of Mauritius will be also among participants in the ceremony.
When new ambassadors of foreign countries begin their work in Russia, they traditionally present their credentials to the President of Russia. Credentials constitue a letter of credence from the leader of a country with a request to "credit" his representative. This ceremony symbolises the official commencement of the diplomat's tour of duty in Russia.
As a rule, 10-12 Ambassadors, who arrived for work ,in the Russian Federation in the past several months, are invited to the ceremony which traditionally takes place in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Such ceremonies are held several times a year. The compulsory atributes of the ceremony are the President's speech of greetings addresssed to the foreign diplomats, the taking of photo with each Ambassador present, and, at the close of the official part of the ceremony, the drinking of a glass of champagne in honour of the commencement of their work in Moscow.
The Head of State is accompanied at the ceremony by Assistant on Foreign Policy Affairs and by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.