[Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] dear President vlir Putin vice president of China Hanzo excellencies distinguished guest ladies and gentlemen first and foremost I would like to express my gratitude to President Vladimir Putin for inviting me to this preeminent and momentous Forum here in blood bosto it is also momentous for me on a personal level because believe it or not this is my very first visit to Russia more than 50 years ago when I was when I was still an active youth leader I flew aof flat and transited Moscow airport on my way to Belgium for the international youth conference we were not allowed to disembark uh only to the transit Hotel so I never got a chance to set food on Russian soil and it's real a pleasure here to be finally in bladi vosto where history blends seemlessly with progress and where the vastness of Russia meets the boundless promise of Asia Pacific as a Crossroads of Commerce this city has been shaped by diverse influences reflecting a rich Heritage of Russian and East Asian Traditions making blood wo a concept of cultures Beyond this economic significance blood varo holds a distinctive place in Russian history as a vital seap port and Eastern Terminus of the legendary Trans Siberian Railway this city truly embodied Russia connection with the East here we find a powerful symbol of our gathering a convergence of geography ideas aspirations and Futures Russia is not just a strategic and economic reality that commands attention indeed as a cultural intellectual and scientific Force Russia's prominence on the global stage transcends the confines of Commerce and geopolitics reaching deep into the very fabric of human history and thought Russia's preeminence stems not from military might or economic leverage crucial as that me as that may be but from the enduring power of ideas the beauty of artistic expression and an unwavering pursuit of knowledge these achievements from the betrock of the remark able soft power earning Russia a place of global respect and admiration influencing the hearts and minds of people around the world for me personally this influence is most powerful powerfully felt in literature I see this with Earnest conviction because having drunk deeply from The Well Springs of English and M in my Early Education and then later having immersed in the works of Dante Shakespeare and Milton I do believe that life would be so much poorer without literature particularly Russian literature [Music] [Applause]