FIDE President at 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates

Tuesday, 24 April 2012 07:11

On April 23rd, 2012, the FIDE President arrived in the USA where at the invitation of Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, patron of the Chess in Schools programme, Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is taking part in the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. The summit is held in the University of Illinois at Chicago. On Monday Mr. Ilyumzhinov attended a dinner with laureates where the main speaker was the former US President Jimmy Carter. It is worth to mention that this summit is attended by five former heads of states who have received this honorable award. Together with Messrs. Mikhail Gorbachev and Jimmy Carter, these are Mr. Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland, Mr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, former President of Costa Rica, Mr. Frederic Willem de Klerk, former President of South Africa as well as His Holiness Dalai-Lama the 14th.

The UN is also well represented by its various divisions, such as UNICEF, international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academics, representatives of government and humanitarian institutions, teachers and students. The US President Mr. Barack Obama addressed the participants with a recorded video message at the first plenary session. Among other speakers who shared their thoughts about the rights and freedom were Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev, Mr. Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, Mr. Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois, Mr. Walter Petroni, co-Chairman of Summit, Ms. Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, Mr. Robert Gallucci, President of the MacArthur Foundation.

The FIDE President had a detailed discussion with the former South African President Frederic Willem de Klerk. Mr. Ilyumzhinov has shared his impressions about his trip to the South Africa where he attended the Junior Chess Championships and invited Mr. Frederic Willem de Klerk to be a guest of honor of the World Youth Championships which will be held in South Africa in 2014.

Chicago