11 March 2026 12:37
328-11-03-2026
Good afternoon,
We are holding the first Ministerial Conference of the International Organisation for the Russian Language (IORL). Allow me to declare it open.
I would like to begin by reading out a message of greetings from President Vladimir Putin.
“Dear friends,
Please accept my heartfelt greetings on the opening of the first Ministerial Conference of the International Organisation for the Russian Language.
Your conference marks the beginning of practical work by that intergovernmental organisation established at the initiative of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, which we have supported together with our colleagues from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Russian language is an integral part of our common heritage. It is not only an official language of the UN system and a number of multilateral regional organisations, but also an invaluable means of interethnic communication in Eurasia. Knowledge of Russian offers access to the outstanding achievements of global culture and knowledge, as well as additional opportunities for developing mutually beneficial contacts in the economy, the humanitarian sphere and many other areas.
It is especially important that cooperation aimed at strengthening the international positions of the Russian language is always based on the principles of mutual respect and genuine neighbourliness. Such joint work undeniably meets the fundamental interests of our friendly nations, which share a common history and cultural and spiritual values.
The agenda of this conference provides for adopting several documents regulating various aspects of the operation of the International Organisation for the Russian Language, and for mapping out practical steps to fulfil the ambitious tasks facing this new organisation. I wish you success, and all the best.
Vladimir Putin”
Friends,
Indeed, the Russian language – rich, powerful and multifaceted – is our precious shared heritage, as the President of Russia has rightly noted. It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, including in the digital domain, where it ranks second after English in terms of the number of websites and social media channels.
Russian is an official or working language of a number of international organisations, including the United Nations. It plays a major constructive role in bringing together the peoples of the Eurasian space and in deepening creative, scientific and academic exchanges. Strengthening the positions of the Russian language in the world is, without exaggeration, a guarantee of preserving the planet’s cultural and civilisational diversity and an important contribution to the formation of a more just multipolar world order.
In this context, I would like once again, on behalf of the Russian Federation, to express sincere appreciation to President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who in December 2021 put forward the initiative to establish an organisation dedicated to promoting the Russian language. The relevant treaty, signed in October 2023 by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, entered into force at the end of 2024. This is undoubtedly a landmark event for our countries and, naturally, for all those who know, value and cherish the language of Alexander Pushkin and Leo Tolstoy, as well as the great Russian culture built upon it.
We see the International Organisation for the Russian Language as an independent multilateral entity. Its core objectives include: enhancing international cooperation in support of the Russian language based on the principles of friendship, trust, good-neighbourliness and interethnic harmony, as well as fostering dialogue among scholars and writers around the world. At the same time, the Organisation is open to all interested states, both in Eurasia and on other continents. I would stress that this was particularly emphasised when President Tokayev first proposed the initiative.
In my view, it is important that the International Organisation for the Russian Language combine, in its work, the traditional and well-established instruments of multilateral cooperation with modern approaches capable of engaging the younger generation in our countries. Among the priorities on the agenda are promoting the Organisation’s international standing and helping to establish its external partnerships.
A special role in these efforts will be played by the Secretariat of the International Organisation for the Russian Language. Today, we are to approve the leadership of the Secretariat. I trust that all of us will provide it with the full support it requires.
***
We have concluded the presentations by the founding countries of the International Organisation for the Russian Language. I would like to express my gratitude for the ideas voiced and for the support you have reaffirmed, including on behalf of your heads of state. Nearly two and a half years have passed since the treaty was signed, and I would like to acknowledge the extensive work carried out during this period by experts from our countries, including those from the ministries of education, science, innovation, and foreign affairs.
Today we are submitting for your consideration draft documents agreed upon by the experts, which will create the legal foundation for the Organisation’s practical work to begin as early as this April. These include the Regulations on the Secretariat and the procedure for budget formation and execution (adopted as a separate regulation), the Conference decision on the maximum number of Secretariat staff, the amounts of member states’ contributions, the terms of remuneration for Secretariat staff, and the budget for the current year. Last but certainly not least is the decision regarding the appointment of the Secretary-General. All countries – and we are grateful for this – have endorsed the candidacy of Natalya Bocharova, Director for Special Assignments at the Rostec State Corporation, who is present here today. Many of you know her from her tenure as Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Science of Russia, a position she held until 2022. All of the documents listed above were reviewed and approved once again this morning by our colleagues at the Governing Board meeting.
If there are no objections or additional comments, let us proceed to the signing procedure.
***
Colleagues,
We have reviewed all the issues on the agenda. The only thing that remains is to determine the date and venue of our next meeting, which will no longer be a constituent session but will instead focus on specific action plans. We expect that the Secretary-General and the entire Secretariat will prepare their vision and proposals for our next Ministerial Meeting.
I believe that, in this case, substance should take precedence over timing. It is better to devote sufficient time to preparation, especially since this is a new initiative and the participants need time to establish cooperation. The ministerial conference should focus on specific matters, including the important task of expanding the membership of our organisation.
We remember well how this issue was discussed at meetings of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers and raised at CIS summits. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also mentioned this idea at a meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council. He clearly stated that, in his view, the organisation should not be limited to our common regional space but should be open to any country willing to support the Russian language. And there are indeed many such countries. Therefore, we will instruct the Secretariat to prepare proposals on the substantive agenda: specifically, which events and initiatives would be of interest in your view.
Secondly, we should work on the geographic expansion of our organisation. The Foreign Ministry will actively support the Secretariat’s work, while understanding that over time the primary role of the Russian Federation in this organisation will gradually transition to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. However, the Foreign Ministry will continue to provide full support through its overseas missions, just as I am sure the other countries represented here will do.
Today we had a very fruitful session: we established the organisation’s structure and fulfilled our heads of state’s instructions.
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