"A True Captain."
The first five years of the Ramsar Regional Initiative for Central Asia (RRI-CA) have come to an end. These have not been easy years of development of a new regional organization aimed to promote the conservation of wetlands and their biodiversity. In addition, the last year and a half of work has been dictated by the pandemic, limiting opportunities for lively communication among members of the Coordination Committee of RRI-CA. Like any new organization, RRI-CA had to, as they say, secure its place in the sun, forming a positive image among the expert community, officials and ordinary citizens of the Central Asian countries.
All of these difficulties and inconveniences in our work were mitigated to the maximum extent possible by the talent of the organizer, Chairman of the Coordinating Committee Eldar Anverovich Rustamov.
For five years in a row, we, the members of the Coordinating Committee, have witnessed not only great organizational talent of Eldar Anverovich, but also his ability to find a way out of situations in which most of us would simply get lost. Without exaggeration it can be said that the timely and wise decisions of our chairman at times were for us like a lifeline for shipwrecked sailors.
Field trips to wetlands, international seminars and conferences, online and offline meetings with Professor Rustamov were remembered not only as competently organized events, but also as communication with a witty and judicious elder. Moreover, this communication was skillfully presented as a dialogue of equals with equals - our chairman so delicately and tactfully defended his point of view, or explained complex issues. Words of Eldar Anverovich easily found their way to the heart of both ministers and shepherds.
Over the past five years RRI-CA has successfully implemented several regional projects, and behind this success is of course the hard work, invaluable experience and profound knowledge of the conservation and rational use of wetlands of Professor Rustamov, our esteemed chairman. And now, having worthily passed the captain's bridge of the ship called RRI-CA to his younger colleagues, Eldar Anverovich remains with us as an experienced mentor and wise adviser.
We sincerely wish you good health, long life and family well-being, Eldar Anverovich! And many thanks from all of us - members of the Coordination Committee of RRI-CA!
Best Regards,
Members of the CC of RRI-CA