16 Oct 2019 14:16

Peskov calls against dramatizing situation with playing of Russian anthem in Saudi Arabia, UAE

MOSCOW. Oct 16 (Interfax) - The playing of the Russian anthem by the orchestras of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to these countries, which is said to have been poor, should be treated with understanding and a calm attitude, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"It's a serious exaggeration to say it was played poorly. Of course, it's not the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. Nevertheless, the Emirati side and the Saudi side tried very hard, punctuating their good attitude toward receiving the president," Peskov told reporters.

"If there were some flaws in the playing of the anthem, in this case everyone can be understanding and such overreacting is hardly appropriate here," he said.

Something else is more important in this situation, "the way they hosted the Russian president, at what level, how good the atmosphere was, and how constructive the talks were," Peskov said.

"Therefore, we need to treat this with understanding and a calm attitude," Peskov said, responding to a question from journalists as to whether Putin was upset by the way the Russian anthem was played in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, when, in their opinion, "the musicians did not always hit the right notes."