OREANDA-NEWS. March 10, 2009. Dmitry Medvedev sent greetings to the participants of the 11th Congress of the Eurasian Association of Universities, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary.

“Over the years, your prestigious organisation has brought together dozens of leading higher educational institutions from CIS countries,” reads the Head of State’s welcoming message. “It has greatly extended the close ties between universities and fostered the development of student and academic exchanges. I would particularly like to emphasise the Association’s important contribution to the creation of a common educational space for the Commonwealth.

Today, the universities of the CIS countries all face the same very important issues. These involve improving the quality of training for students, supporting their commitment to innovation and introducing advanced technologies and methods of instruction. Finally, universities must of course make young people aware of the rich cultural and historical heritage of the peoples in the Commonwealth.”

Dmitry Medvedev expressed his confidence that ongoing discussions within the Association would give a serious impetus to more educational contacts and lead to a further strengthening of cultural ties between the CIS countries.

Currently, the Eurasian University Association comprises 98 universities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.