Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova congratulates Rustam Minnikhanov on his anniversary

 On March 1, Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova sent a message of congratulations to President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov on the occasion of his 60th anniversary.

"Dear Mr President, dear Rustam Nurgalievich! Please accept sincere congratulations and best wishes from me personally and from all UNESCO employees on your 60th birthday!

Being a prominent state and political figure of the Russian Federation, over the years of your governing Tatarstan you have managed to make an invaluable contribution to the development and modernization of your republic.

I visited Tatarstan and saw how people respect you. We appreciate your efforts on strengthening cooperation between Tatarstan and UNESCO, and your personal significant contribution to the preservation of cultural traditions and cultural property sites.

I remember our meetings in Kazan with pleasure, when we celebrated the inclusion of the Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Reserve into the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List and most recent meeting in Paris, where we discussed, in particular, holding a meeting of sport ministers of UNESCO's Member States in Kazan this summer. We are also grateful to you for the success of the Youth Forum of the session of the World Heritage Committee, which took place at your immediate support in Kazan in 2012 and became a memorable international event. Your support of young people, both in Tatarstan and outside it, is very important for the education of future generations in the spirit of tolerance, cultural and religious diversity.

I sincerely wish you good health and well-being, as well as continued success in the development of Tatarstan and implementation of international initiatives and projects."