Some
650 people from all over the world but tracing their roots to Mongolia are now
gathered in Ulan-Ude in Buryatia, sharing views on how to protect the traditional
Mongolian script and culture, and organizing 
meetings, symposium, arts festivals and sports competitions.

President
Ts.Elbegdorj of Mongolia and President V.V.Nagovitsyn of the Buryat Republic
spoke at a meeting. “We have tried our best to organize this forum that
has become the symbol of friendship symbol among people of many nations. By
attending the forum, Mongolia”s President has shown the importance the
Mongolian state gives to protecting the national language and culture,”
Nagovitsyn said.

In
a message, Russia”s President D.Medvedev said that the forum is an important
event not only for Mongolia and the Buryat Republic, but also for larger
Mongolia-Russia relations and cooperation. He was confident that proposals and
initiatives will be thrown up during the event by scholars and researchers that
aim at significantly contributing  to the
spirit of Mongolianness.

A
message of greeting was delivered to the Honorary President of the Forum of
World Mongolians by 20 riders comprising Mongolians, Tuvan and Buryati people.
They were all between 13 and-55 years old and carried the congratulatory
message by the horse relay service. An eight-walled ger was formally presented
to the people and the Government of the Republic of Buryatia. Among the other
events were a display of the three manly games, conferences of scholars and
researchers,  opening of a Mongolian
Language and Cultural Center, expos, and music festivals.

President
Elbegdorj dived 437 meters to the bottom of the Baikal Lake with Hero of Russia
A.Sagalevich, who is also the inventor of the MIR scuba-diving device, and with
the director of the Metropole Group, M.Slipenchuk, becoming the first State
Head to join the call of Buryatia Government to protect Baikal Lake.

The
project started in 2008 and is funded by the Metropole Group. The MIR is a  device that can dive to depths up to 6,000
meters and collect samples of underwater flora and fauna. According to Sagalevich,
there is no other equipment that can dive this deep.

“Even
though I haven’t flown in space, I imagined that an astronaut who sees the
Earth feels the same way as I did. Underwater is very beautiful and
astonishing. The astronauts who seen Baikal Lake from space have said the lake
is the eye of our planet. Thus, we need to love and protect this lake like we
love our eyes.”