Address on behalf of UNESCO Section of Museums and Cultural Objects on the occasion of conduction of the UNESCO/ICOM National Training on Museum Management for Museum Specialists of the Russian Federation (7-10 September 2009, Kazan, Russian Federation) from Mr. Christian Manhart Chief of the Section of Museums and Cultural Objects.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to welcome the organizers and participants of the UNESCO/ICOM National Training on Museum Management for Museum Specialists of the Russian Federation. I would like to underline the extreme importance of this event and thank you for taking part in it.

It is a great satisfaction to admit wide interest of cultural and educational publicity, especially in the museum field, in the conducted series of the training session on museum management. Being an integral part of UNESCO's activities aimed at development of museum-to-museum partnership, the trainings already organized in many countries, have built a profound network of partners and a base for future development of museums at the local level.

Many UNESCO programmes for museums are focused on increasing professional level of museum specialists. With this aim the UNESCO/ICOM Museum Studies Training Package "Running a Museum" and the cartoon booklets series "Cultural Heritage Protection Handbooks" were translated into several languages, including Russian. Not only the publications met positive responses among museum professionals, but among wider audience interested in cultural heritage as well.

Within this context the positive role of the series of Regional and National Museum Trainings is hard to deny. Taking part in the events, over 150 participants from nine countries received the opportunity to transmit obtained knowledge and skills to their local colleagues, thus contributing to the development and promotion of museums as places to access knowledge.

The series of Trainings, including the Regional Training which took place in St. Petersburg and National ones conducted in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus and the Republic of Moldova, was organized at high professional level, and I would like to express ray appreciation to the organizers. And above all, let me express my gratefulness to the Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation (IFESCCO) for its inestimable support.

I wish all the participants of the National Training great professional achievements and successful work in their field, which, no doubt, will facilitate the implementation of UNESCO priorities.

Christian Manhart

Chief of the Section of Museums and Cultural Objects