Rustam Minnikhanov takes part in the IX meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme

On 5 June the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov took part in the IX meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme held in Kyrgyzstan with participation of Ministers of Environment from snow leopard habitat countries and representatives of partnership organizations and financial institutions. This intergovernmental alliance was established 11 years ago and united countries for joint work aimed at the Snow Leopard protection.

Speaking at the meeting, Rustam Minnikhanov reminded that for thousands of years the Snow Leopard has been a symbol for the Tatars and today it is on the Tatarstan Coat of Arms, personifying common human and moral values.

He thanked the leadership of Kyrgyzstan for the invitation to take part in the meeting and informed: “In 2022 we initiated the establishment of the Biological Diversity Preservation Center Snow Leopard in its natural habitat in Altay. The complex is already operating and becomes the main site for recruitment of snow leopards population in natural conditions.”

Rustam Minnikhanov also stated that Tatarstan scientists have developed projects for studying the snow leopard genome and creating this species biobank.

Having informed that due to cooperation with Kyrgyzstan three snow leopards have already been delivered to the center and two more are expected to come from Mongolia, the Rias of the republic said: “I would like to express my gratitude to colleagues from Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia for the assistance provided and the work done together.”

“I invite everyone to take active part in the establishment and expansion of a scientific consortium on the basis of our Snow Leopard Center,” he concluded.

For information:

“The International conference “Snow Leopard study and preservation in the world,” held in Kazan on 13-15 march 2025  made it possible to broaden the cooperation horizons and facilitate the promotion of position of Russia in the international  environmental agenda,” the Director of the inter-regional association the  Irbis Center for the Snow Leopard study and Preservation  Darya Petrova said.