Dialogue on equal terms
As part of the XV Eurasian Economic Youth Forum, Ural State University hosted a meeting of foreign ambassadors and consuls with students – “Dialogue on Equal Terms”.
The meeting with foreign representatives is traditionally held before the grand opening of the plenary session of EEYF. Opening the event, the rector of Ural State University of Economics, Yakov Silin, emphasized that the university has been striving to develop the spirit of cooperation and partnership for 15 years now.
"The theme of today's forum is "Together with Russia: creating the future through dialogue and mutual understanding!” Today, Russia plays an important role on the world stage, being the initiator of many integration processes both in Eurasia and in other regions of the world. We are open to cooperation with all countries that share our values: respect for sovereignty, justice, and equality. Even despite the unprecedented information and even hot war against Russia, today about 400 thousand foreign students are studying at Russian universities. And this number is growing every year!"
Today, over 3,200 students from 69 countries study at USUE, and the Preparatory Faculty for Foreign Citizens at USUE is one of the largest in Russia: in 2024, 569 students studied Russian there, and in 2025, they are 643. “Education is the best way to overcome barriers and build bridges between cultures,” Yakov Silin added.
In support of these words, bilateral agreements were signed between USUE and some universities: Tajik National University, Shihezi University and Harbin Institute of Petroleum. These documents officially confirm that the parties thereto can jointly implement educational programs, do research, and participate in congresses, conferences and seminars.
Today, it is very important to hold dialogues. In a world where everything is interconnected, where global problems require collective solutions, a dialogue is becoming not just desirable, but vitally necessary - this is what the participants of the meeting emphasized.
"As the events of recent years show, the unipolar world, which did not imply the existence of dialogue, but only imposed its opinions and decisions, is a thing of the past. The future of humanity is for equal relations. We are witnessing the formation of new poles in the decision-making of the world. The countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America have enormous potential and rich natural resources, which have been exploited by the West for several centuries. The time has come to recognize that many of these countries are the center of multipolarity and no instructions from outside will stop the development of new centers of economic and political power," said Alexander Kharlov, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Yekaterinburg.
Plenipotentiary ambassadors of foreign states to the Russian Federation were present at the USUE Palace of Culture as speakers and guests of honor.
"In Myanmar, more than 60% of the population is young people. We are investing in education, digital literacy and entrepreneurship so that our young people can confidently participate in events on the global stage. Myanmar stands ready to work hand in hand with countries in Eurasia and beyond in this collective journey towards mutual growth and prosperity," U Thit Linn Ohn, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, said.
"All countries are equal, regardless of the size of their territory, population or economy. In this regard, we feel great respect from the Russian Federation towards other countries, which is sometimes not evident from other countries," noted Juan Genaro del Campo Rodriguez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Peru.
“Dialogue in our context is not just about discussing, it is about listening with the need to understand and learn. And the mutual understanding that flows from dialogue will allow cooperation to flourish in political discourse, education, trade, investments, tourism, technology, and many other areas of inter-country connectivity. Let us move forward, hand in hand, as two proud nations, driven by a rich history, united by hope and driven by the belief that through dialogue and understanding the world could be a better place for all,” says Shobini Gunasekera, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sri Lanka.
"Africa, the continent of all possibilities, invites the Russian Federation - one of the main players in global stability - to strengthen ties and preserve common values and traditions. Strengthening ties and preserving traditions means building and strengthening a bridge of mutually beneficial dialogue without manipulating people's consciousness," Ivan Vangu Ngimbi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of Congo, emphasized.
The moderator of the “Dialogue on Equal Terms” was the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Association of Foreign Students of Russia, Adu Yao Nicaise: "Russia is a country of dialogue. Now young people have the opportunity to ask any questions to our invited guests of honor."
The students actively joined the dialogue with diplomats. Many of them would like to continue their education in the Russian Federation. For example, students from Guinea asked about the possibility of free education in Russia. A student from Colombia was interested whether the embassy could somehow facilitate additional study of the Russian language for students, so that it would be easier for them to study in Russia.
The 15th EEYF is attended by 21,887 people from 116 countries, including 17,588 contestants, 804 experts, 22 ambassadors, 89 rectors and vice-rectors of universities in the CIS countries. These are record figures in the entire history of the forum!
