#14 - JRL 7230
EVERY FOURTH YOUNG BRITISH CITIZEN COULD SAY NOTHING ABOUT RUSSIA

LONDON, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - British sociologists were surprised by the fact that during the survey of citizens of the United Kingdom every fourth representative of the younger generation could say nothing about Russia.

Robert Woster, founder and manager of the MORI company which on the initiative and jointly with RIA Novosti carried out the public opinion poll among British and Russians stated that "there still were a lot of things to do." Results of the poll in which Russia's Public Opinion foundation also participated were presented in London and Moscow.

Robert Woster stated that "the objective of the poll was to assess public interest, discover ideas and impressions of the peoples of the two countries on Russia and the United Kingdom." Irina Demchenko, first deputy chairman of the Board of RIA Novosti who presented the results of the Russian part of the poll explained that it became part of the "work which the Agency has been carrying out within the framework of preparation for the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the United Kingdom." In addition to presentation of the results of the poll a photo exhibition "Russia and United Kingdom: past and present" will be arranged in London and on June 23 in the British capital a soccer match will be played between Russian and British parliamentarians.

Irina Demchenko paid attention to the fact that results of the poll in Russia and Great Britain were very similar.

She stated that "the impression was that people in both countries were interested in the same things" and added that in general "Russians are more positive in their attitude towards Britain than the British towards Russia."