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Cultural Exchange Efforts Recognized
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Ambassador Bely presents the Order of Friendship
[©Seikyo
Shimbun] |
On February 19, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda was awarded the
Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation at the Russian
Embassy in Tokyo.
Presenting the award in recognition of Mr. Ikeda’s
contributions to the development of Russo-Japanese relations
over the past 30 years, Ambassador Mikhail M. Bely paid
tribute to his efforts to strengthen
people-to-people ties through cultural exchange, and his
deep understanding of different philosophies and cultures.
Mr. Ikeda has visited the former U.S.S.R. and Russia six
times in order to engage in dialogue with leaders and
cultural figures. He has promoted extensive educational and
cultural exchanges and the
showing in Russia of exhibitions devoted to peace such as
"Nuclear Arms: Threat to Our World," hosted in Moscow in
1987.
Over 1 million people have been exposed to Russian culture
through tours by over 40 dance and music groups invited to
Japan by the Min-On Concert Association founded by Mr.
Ikeda. And since Soka University signed an exchange
agreement with Moscow State University in 1975, over 500
students have participated in the two-way educational
exchange.
The awarding of the Order of Friendship was announced in a
presidential decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on
January 9. Mr. Ikeda was nominated by former president
Mikhail Gorbachev, Moscow State University Rector Dr. Viktor
Sadovnichy, former cosmonaut Dr. Aleksander Serebrov and
author Chingiz Aitmatov.
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