Greetings to 7th World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples 2016-06-15 12:30:00 Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to the 7th World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, taking place in the Finnish town of Lahti on 15–17 June. The President said, in particular, in his message: “Spread across the Eurasian continent’s vast expanse, the Finno-Ugric peoples have made a great contribution to developing human civilisation. In particular, their unique spiritual heritage reflects a deep understanding of nature and has become part of the world’s global cultural wealth. Over nearly 25 years now, your congresses have been bringing together prominent scholars, politicians, public figures and businesspeople from many countries, offering a good opportunity to discuss current social, economic, humanitarian and demographic issues. This kind of joint work has great importance for protecting the Finno-Ugric peoples’ unique ethno-cultural and linguistic heritage and ensuring their harmonious and prosperous development in all areas. I am sure that the ideas and initiatives that result from your discussions will help to further expand this mutually advantageous cooperation and strengthen understanding and trust between people in different countries”.