New Year’s reception for heads of diplomatic missions held at Bolshoi Theater

A traditional New Year’s reception for the heads of diplomatic missions has taken place at the Bolshoi Theater.

The reception was attended by the heads of diplomatic missions from 99 countries.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov greeted the audience. “The year 2017 was not easy for international relations […] and demonstrated that diplomacy was a tool necessary for the efficient solution of numerous contemporary problems,” Lavrov said, in particular.

“A lot needs to be done in the coming year to improve the global situation, settle conflicts by means of political and diplomatic methods, and continue democratization of the international life,” the minister said.

The reception continued with Ludwig Minkus’ Don Quixote ballet production based on the legendary book by Miguel Cervantes and presenting Kristina Kretova and Ivan Vasiliev as the soloists.