Danish Queen giving gala dinner in honor of Russian president

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is in Denmark on the first state visit from Moscow in the last half century. The president, together with his spouse Sevtlana Medvedeva, was personally invited by Queen Margrethe II.

Russia’ first couple received a royal welcome at the airport upon their arrival to Copenhagen with Queen Margrethe II personally present at the ceremony.

A glamorous white tie gala dinner was later given by the queen at the Fredenborg Palace, the summer royal residence.

Speaking at the dinner, Medvedev talked about the historic ties of the two countries. Empress Maria, the mother of the last Russian Tsar, Nicolas II, was from the Danish royal family.

An old tradition has it that high-profile guests visiting Denmark stay at the palace. On Wednesday the Russian president and his spouse will follow another longstanding tradition and leave their signatures with a diamond on a palace window, alongside the historic handwritings of Winston and Clementine Churchill, American presidents and European monarchs.

During the visit, Medvedev is expected to meet with Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen to talk energy cooperation. The Nord Stream project is believed to be the major issue to be discussed.

The presidential delegation for the visit includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Transport Minister Igor Levitin, Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, Presidential Representative for Arctic and Antarctic Cooperation Artur Chilingarov, and a number of other high-profile politicians.