Geneva, 12 October 2026– As part of the visit of a delegation from the Akimat of Shymkent to Geneva, a ceremony was held in the “Kazakhstan” Room at the Palais des Nations to mark the donation of 5,000 tulip bulbs from the City of Shymkent to the United Nations Office at Geneva, as well as the presentation of the bust of the great Kazakh poet and thinker Abai Kunanbayev.
The event was attended by Erzhan Kazykhan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva,Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Arman Sabitov, Deputy Akim of the City of Shymkent, Charlotte Warakaulle, Director of the UN Library & Archives Geneva; Larissa Indjoudjian, Honorary President of the QazElles Association, UN officials; and representatives of the Kazakh diaspora in Switzerland.
Kazakhstan is home to many species of wild tulips, which constitute an important part of the country’s natural heritage. Their blooming on the grounds of the Palais des Nations is intended to serve as a symbol of friendship, renewal and the longstanding cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Nations.
A separate part of the event was dedicated to the presentation of the bust of Abai Kunanbayev at its new location in the immediate vicinity of the “Kazakhstan” Room. In the year marking the 181st anniversary of the great poet and thinker, participants highlighted his special place in the history and spiritual heritage of Kazakhstan. As a poet, educator and humanist, Abai made a significant contribution to shaping the moral and intellectual foundations of Kazakh society, championing the values of knowledge, justice, responsibility and humanism.
Speaking at the ceremony, Erzhan Kazykhan emphasized that the bust of Abai and the Kazakh tulips embody Kazakhstan’s rich cultural and natural heritage, as well as the country’s strong and longstanding ties with the United Nations.
The ceremony, held ahead of United Nations Day, observed on 24 October, carried additional symbolic significance and underscored Kazakhstan’s commitment to the principles of peace, dialogue and international cooperation.
The event marked a further contribution to strengthening cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Nations and to promoting Kazakhstan’s cultural and natural heritage on the international stage.
