The situation with the refusal of the Russian side refusal to extend the visa of Sarah Rainsford, a BBC correspondent in Moscow, after a decade of creative work in Russia, was and remains a paralyzing, painful, and painful ordeal for her and the BBC Corporation, and cannot but cause concern.
We urge the BBC Corporation to take the initiative to create a well-thought-out strategy for solving such issues, integrate it into the national plans of the United Kingdom, and work with all interested parties to settle and resolve the question of the future work of talented journalist Sarah Rainsford in Russia and the future not to create conditions for retaliatory measures by the Russian side against British citizens in Russia.
The world is obviously an increasingly complicated place. But the BBC Corporation has only one asset—its people. To remain effective over the next 100 years, BBC must do more work to maintain the current high-quality BBC corps.
Sarah Rainsford invested in learning Russian, which is an entry point to understanding Russian society, and she should stay to work in Russia.[letsinfoup]
William J. Burns, an outstanding American diplomat of our time, reflecting on his 33-year career and extensive experience in Russia, in one of his interviews, speaking about Russia, stressed: “Russians are understandably deeply proud of their history and their culture. It’s important to understand what Russia as a society has been through in recent generations, going back to the Soviet period during which the population endured the famine, the purges, and the Second World War.
Whatever the difficulties in our relations—and, certainly, today we have profound difficulties with the current Russian leadership—it is important to develop a sense of respect for that history, and what Russians as a people have not only endured but also achieved.
As we look toward the future, we recognize the significance of Russia and its role in the world. Russia is still a permanent member of the Security Council, is still the world’s biggest producer of hydrocarbons, and — along with the United States — controls somewhere around 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons. “
The relevant messages have been sent to the BBC Corporation, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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