The message reads, in part:
“People of different ethnicities have lived in peace and friendship in our country for centuries. The traditions of neighbourliness and mutual respect, our historical experience of interethnic interaction are the pride and common legacy of the people of Russia. This is why ensuring interethnic and interfaith accord, strengthening our unity and preserving the diversity of our customs, languages and individual cultures are among our invariable, significant and crucial priorities.
The establishment of the Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations in 2012 was a major significant contribution to the development and implementation of the state national policy. Since then, the Council has convincingly proved its efficiency and has done a great deal to consolidate the efforts of the authorities and civil society institutions towards addressing current objectives in the area of interethnic relations.
I am confident that your conference will be a success and that your proposals and recommendations will certainly be taken into account by the Council.”