According to RT, during the talks in Moscow, General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith announced that he would give Russian President Vladimir Putin a pair of elephants as a symbol of peace, friendship and prosperity. The gift was sent on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Mr Thongloun said the pair of elephants will be transferred to St. Petersburg city. Petersburg, where he studied at the Herzen Pedagogical Institute. In response, Mr. Putin smiled and thanked and said: "Thank you, they will be very useful".
St. Petersburg has a special relationship with elephants. The first time this animal appeared in the city was in 1714, when the Persian King gave a child to Russia. In the 18th century, elephants continued to be sent as gifts by the Persian kings and were once raised near the city center.
At St. Petersburg, an elephant that once attracted a large number of visitors, many of them died during the difficult period, especially during the Hunger in 1918 and the Siege of Leningrad in 1941. The last elephant to live here, Xun, passed away in 1982.
The return of elephants from Laos this time is expected to rekindle historical memories and become a joy for many generations of city residents.
