British Duke of Kent to visit Russia

Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, is to visit Russia on July 18th-20th, 2002, as RIA Novosti learned at Great Britain's embassy in Russia on Tuesday.

The Duke of Kent is President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In this capacity he intends to visit Murmansk, Severomorsk and Arkhangelsk, north of the European Russia.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was set up in 1917. Its main task is to maintain the graves of the British and Commonwealth military men who were killed during wars and buried abroad.

Russia has British war graves in four cities, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Severomorsk, and Vladivostok. More than 600 British and Commonwealth officers killed in 1914-1918 and 1941-1945 were buried there.

During his visit, the Duke will meet the governors of the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions.

Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, was born in 1935. He is the elder brother of Prince Michael of Kent, and a cousin to both Queen Elizabeth II and to her husband Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.