MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has traditionally addressed world leaders and heads of international organizations with Christmas and New Year greetings, the Kremlin press service said on Thursday.

In his messages to most of them, he noted the strengthening of relations despite the pandemic and recalled that the development of cooperation with Moscow was in the interests of their peoples. TASS has summarized the highlights of the Russian president’s messages of greetings to foreign counterparts.

Western countries

In his Christmas and New Year greetings to the President of the United States of America, Joseph Biden, with whom he plans to have a telephone conversation this evening, Vladimir Putin noted that Moscow and Washington bore a special responsibility for international and regional stability and could and should interact constructively, combining efforts to respond to the numerous challenges and threats facing humanity. "I am confident that, following up on our agreements reached during the June summit in Geneva and subsequent meetings, we can move forward and establish an effective Russian-American dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration for each other’s national interests," the message says.

In his greetings to the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz Putin noted the need for the international community to come together and join its efforts to face the multiple challenges Europe and the entire world were facing. In the message to the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, Putin noted that the two countries had done much towards the development of bilateral relations.

In his message of greetings to Queen Elizabeth II, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Boris Johnson, Vladimir Putin noted that Russian-British relations based on equality and mutual respect would meet the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries.

Putin appreciated the Italian presidency of the G20 and said that he would be delighted to see Prime Minister Mario Draghi in Moscow next year and "have an in-depth discussion with him on pressing issues on the bilateral agenda, as well as to outline a constructive way forward in international affairs."

The Russian leader recalled that he was looking forward to a forthcoming meeting with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, expressed the hope for joint work on the bilateral and international agenda with Finland’s Prime Minister Sauli Niinisto, and wished good health to his Czech counterpart Milos Zeman, who had experienced health problems in the outgoing year. Just as on the previous occasion, Putin sent separate greetings to the King and the Queen of Spain (but not the head of government) and Sweden’s new Prime Minister (but not the royal couple), the Prince of Monaco, and the leaders of Greece, Canada, Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia.

Near neighbors

The meetings with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in the outgoing year confirmed the strong partnership between Moscow and Baku, and regular contacts with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the relations of the alliance, Putin said in his greetings to the leaders of the two countries.

Russia and Belarus this year cooperated tightly and effectively in addressing large-scale tasks in bilateral relations despite the pandemic and external pressures, Putin wrote to his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, with whom he had held a bilateral meeting after the informal CIS summit in St. Petersburg and played hockey on Wednesday.

Putin described as successful Russia’s relations with the Central Asian countries. In his messages to their leaders, he noted the steady development of bilateral ties.

The Russian leader congratulated Moldova’s President Maia Sandu and the leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Aslan Bzhania and Anatoly Bibilov. Messages to the leadership of Georgia and Ukraine are not mentioned in the Kremlin’s news release, just as last year.

Middle and Far East

Russia and China cooperated productively in various spheres, Putin said. "I have no doubt that our Chinese friends will make sure that the Winter Olympic Games are a success. I look forward to our meeting at the opening ceremony of this sports festival," the message reads.

In the messages of greetings to the leaders of the Republic of India, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Russian President noted the high level of Russia-India relations of special privileged strategic partnership, as fully demonstrated by the results of recent talks held in New Delhi. "The implementation of the agreements reached will help further expand productive Russia-India cooperation in various areas," Putin noted.

Putin appreciated last October’s telephone conversation with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, and confirmed the determination to have further contracts. He expressed the hope for the further dialogue with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, but last year’s plans for a visit to Seoul were not mentioned in the Kremlin’s news release.

The Russian leader sent greetings to the leadership of Vietnam and Mongolia’s President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, who had visited Russia just recently.

Putin sent greetings to the leaders of three countries in the Middle East - Israel, Syria and Turkey. In the message to Israel’s President Yitzhak Herzog and Prime Minister Naftali Bennet he expressed the hope for further constructive joint work. To the Syrian leader, Bashar Assad, Putin promised Moscow’s continued support for Damascus, and in the message to Recep Tayyip Erdogan he mentioned a good outlook for cooperation in outer space and vaccine production.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not mentioned in the Kremlin’s news release, but Putin held a telephone conversation with him on Thursday.

Latin America and Africa

In the message of greetings to Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez Putin noted the firm and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and tangible positive results in the joint struggle against the pandemic. To Brazil’s leader Jair Bolsonaro Putin expressed the hope for the further constructive dialogue in bilateral relations and in international organizations.

Separate messages were sent to Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, to his Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz Canel and to Raul Castro.

Just as last year, South Africa was the sole African country mentioned on the list of Putin’s greetings. "I hope that in 2022 we will continue to work closely to strengthen the multifaceted interaction between Russia and South Africa This fully meets the interests of our peoples and helps strengthen international stability and security," the message to South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says.

Messages to world personalities and former leaders

Putin sent congratulations to the heads of a number of international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgiyeva, and World Bank President David Malpass, who was not mentioned in last year’s greetings.

Traditionally, the Russian leader congratulated the heads of the leading sports organizations - from the International Olympic Committee’s President Thomas Bach to the new leader of the International Ice Hockey Federation Luke Tardiff.

In the message to Pope Francis, whom Putin two weeks ago congratulated upon his jubilee, the Russian leader noted the constructive dialogue between Moscow and the Vatican on the basis of similar approaches to key current issues.

The Russian leader congratulated many former heads of state and government, including Germany’s former chancellors Angela Merkel and Gerhard Schroeder, former Italian prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Romano Prodi, Israel’s former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Finland’s former president, Tarja Halonen, Japan’s former prime minister, Shinzo Abe and France’s former president, Nicolas Sarkozy.