Mintimer Shaimiev takes part in an international conference dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union (Russia) joining the UNESCO

On 28 March the Tatarstan State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev, who is also the Good Will Ambassador of UNESCO, the executive secretary of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO Tatayana Dovgalenko , members of the Russian State Duma Tatyana Larionova and Oleg Smolin, the Chairman of the Committee on Education, Culture and National Affairs of the Tatarstan State Council Ayrat Zaripov and other officials took part in a plenary session of the international scientific and practical conference dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union (Russia) joining the UNESCO  held at the TISBI University of Management in Kazan.

After the key note speaker Professor, the President of the university Nella Pruss, who is also the head of the International Chair of UNESCO, gave her presentation, Tatyana Dovgalenko was given the floor and said: “I would like to say how much our Commission appreciates cooperation with Tatarstan which is one of the most active participants of different UNESCO projects. That is why I am extremely grateful to Mintimer (Sharipovich) Shaimiev and Rustam (Nurgalievich) Minnikhanov and to the whole administration team for the attention they attach to UNESCO projects”.

Having informed that on 21 April it will be the 70th anniversary since the Ambassador of the USSR to Great Britain Yakov Malik signed the UNESCO Charter and the country joined this institution, Tatayana Dovgaleva continued: “On the background of political instability the mission of UNESCO –as it is stated in its Charter – to entrench the idea of peace in minds of people – is popular as never before. Despite some right criticism, this organization remains the leading universal humanitarian organization and in many aspects a very efficient platform for an inter-cultural and inter-civilizational dialogue of broad interaction and development of international relations in all spheres of its broad mandate.”

Then she informed that the UNESCO headquarters sent new 15 certificates to new associated schools and handed them in to Nella Pruss for passing them to new members.

Having emphasized the huge importance of the USSR joining the UNESCO, Mintimer Shaimiev said: “As a member of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and its Good Will Ambassador I would like to attract your attention to the fact that the 70-year long history of relations between Russia and UNSECO confirms efficiency and perceptiveness of joint efforts in establishing a constructive dialogue between people and countries and preservation of cultural diversity on the planet. These comprehensive issues affect interests of the whole humankind.”

He told about cooperation of Tatarstan with UNESCO which started in the 90-es last century and stated that the establishment of the Renaissance Fund gave a new impetus to cooperation especially in preservation and protection of cultural heritage sites.

“Currently we are working closely with the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and the UNESCO in the whole. That is why we have a number of projects related to Associated schools and chairs of UNESCO and the UNEVOK center. Today the republic is the leader in Russia in the number of UNESCO sites and I would like to thank the Administration of Russia, the Chairman of the Commission Sergey Lavrov and Tatyana Dovgalenko for giving us good and proper support.  As they say it is not a waste of time,” Mintimer Shaimiev concluded.

Foreign participants, including the Coordinator of UNESCO chairs Inga Nishanyan from the UNESCO headquarters in Paris also took part in the conference online.