Amb. Vnukov gets praises from senior Presidential aide, other civic leaders

There were an unusually large number of Korean and international guests attending the party bespeaking his close association and friendship with a wide spectrum of people in Korea as well as the government and business circles.

Among all eight or night ambassadors of Russia in Seoul, Ambassador Vnukov is considered among many Koreans as the most Chin-Han-Pa, literally a 'Pro-South Koreas' ambassador, as he always meant well for the Korean people as well as kind and caring. He has also made many good friends not only in the Capital (Seoul) but also among the local government leaders, including the provincial governors and mayors of the metropolitan cities, counties and local cities?by attending various local festivals and other events, for which the ambassadors' tours were arranged by The Korea Post at the invitation of the local government leaders.

Ambassador Vnukov, also posing a contrast with other ambassadors, received plaques of appreciation from a number cultural and civic organizations for his unreserved support and contributions to the promotion friendship, exchange and cooperation between Korea and Russia at non-governmental levels.

Fittingly from such a backdrop, in a rare example at a farewell party for an ambassador, there was attending Senior Presidential Secretary Joo Chul-ki from the Presidential Mansion of Cheong Wa Dae for Foreign Relations and National Security with Assistant Secretary Lee Jang-keun for the President for Foreign Affairs and there also were Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Lee Kyung-soo of Foreign Affairs and former Korean Ambassadors to Moscow Mrs. Lee In-ho and Lee Kyu-hyung. There also were many representatives from the business, cultural and journalistic circles, who included Chairman Chang Man-key of Human Development Institute of Korea as well as from the media who included Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post.

From the Diplomatic Corps came many mission chiefs who included Ambassadors Hocine Sahraoui of Algeria, Elisabeth Bertagnoli of Austria, Natallia Jhylevich of Belarus, Petar Andonov of Bulgaria, Tomas Husak of Czech Republic, Gustavo Adolfo Lopez Calderon of Guatemala, Shri Vishnu Prakash of India, Sergio Mercuri of Italy, Bessho Koro of Japan, Dulat Bakisher of Kazakhstan, Duishonkul Chotonov of Kyrgyzstan, Jose Luis Bernal of Mexico, Ganbold Baasanjav of Mongolia, Mohammed Chraibi of Morocco, Mohamed Salim Alharthy of Oman, Krzysztof Majka of Poland, Antonio Quintero Nobre of Portugal, Zoran Kazazovic of Serbia, Milan Lajciak of Slovak Republic, Tissa Wijeratne of Sri Lanka and Bakhtier N. Ibragimov of Uzbekistan.

From the Russian community in Korea came Representative Mikhail Bondarenko of the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in Seoul and Second Secretary Alexander A. Masaltsev from the Russian Embassy.

Speaking to the guests, Ambassador Vnukov said that he and Mrs. Vnukov will leave Korea after Christmas after five years of his tour of duty in Korea but that as he was accredited to Vietnam as Russian ambassador he regretted leaving Korea less as the new station was not very far away from Korea but in the same Asian region. He said that Vietnam was a very important country for Russia and appeared to expect greatly from his new assignment.

Then he expressed his profound gratitude to all his Korean friends he had made while in Korea, including the local government and civic leaders for the support and assistance they had given for the promotion of relations between his country and Korea.