President Putin Promises To Settle Issue Of Restoring Russian Monuments In China

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday promised to settle all matters regarding requests that Russian historical monuments in China be restored, expressing confidence that his country's strong relationship with Beijing would serve to benefit this effort

VLADIVOSTOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2019) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday promised to settle all matters regarding requests that Russian historical monuments in China be restored, expressing confidence that his country's strong relationship with Beijing would serve to benefit this effort.

During a meeting with prominent citizens of Russia's Primorsky Territory, Putin was asked by the director of Vladivostok Fortress Museum, Victor Shalay, for help in facilitating the restoration or relocation of Russian historical monuments built in China after the Russo-Japanese War, including a memorial cross at a mass grave and a memorial church at a now-nonexistent cemetery.

"Such issues are usually settled within international legal agreements. We have, unfortunately, too many burial sites of our warriors in various countries, in Europe and in Asia... I do not think it will be hard for us to reach an agreement with China, especially since we ... have formed a special relationship with this country in recent decade; a truly allied, strategic one," the Russian president said.

Putin added that while communist governments have traditionally held varied attitudes toward religion, he saw no specific obstacles to resolving this issue with the current Chinese leadership.

"We have truly kind, friendly relations with them, I want to stress that again. I think we will settle this quickly enough. Settle in terms of administrative procedures, and then find the money to put everything in order," the Russian president promised.

The president tasked his aide Igor Levitin with looking into the issue.

Due to the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War and the Russian immigration to China after the 1917 October Revolution, there are quite a lot historical traces of Russia's presence in China, some of which have considerable historical and cultural value.

In 2015, the 9th conference of Russian compatriots in China adopted a plan to restore Russian monuments in the Northeast China, which included asking for the Russian government's support in the endeavor.