MOSCOW, October 26, 1995; (OT-Moscow) - The Government and Parliament of Kalmyk Republic invited Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Moscow, Mr. Nawang Rabgyal, to attend the oath-taking and inauguration ceremony of Kalmyk President, Mr. Kirsan Ilumzhinov, which took place in Elista, the capital of Kalmyk, on October 21, 1995.

Among many guests from republics in Russian Federation, the Representative of Tibet was the only foreign guest speaker. While congratulating the Kalmyk President on behalf of Tibetans, Mr. Rabgyal outlined the historical relationship between Tibet and Kalmyk, which are close and united together by their common traditional culture.

Mr. K.Ilumzhinov was re-elected to second-term presidency of Kalmyk Republic, a traditional Buddhist region in European part of Russia. He will be visiting Dharamsala on 6 to 11 November 1995 to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Kalmyk President will also attend the inauguration of Norbulingka Institute, at the invitation of the Department of Religious & Cultural Affairs of Central Tibetan Administration-in-exile. His entourage includes Chairman of Kalmyk Parliament, Culture Minister and other 6 officials and TV reporter.

Tibet and Kalmyk has had long historical contacts. The 5th Great Dalai Lama unified Tibet with assistance of Gurshri Khan, who was supported by chieftans of Qirat and Torgut Mongols, who were ancestors of Kalmyk nation. Some historians believe that the origin of Kalmyk ancestors was from Kokonor region. For seven decades there were no direct contacts between Tibet and Kalmyk, due to external circumstances.

Since the first visit of the Dalai Lama to Kalmyk Republic in 1991, there has been growing cultural contacts and cooperation between Dharamsala and Elista. The Friends of Tibet Society was formed in Kalmyk in 1992 and it has been very supportive of Tibetan cause.