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World leaders salute TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman on 70th birthday

The Russian president commended Mikhail Gusman's contribution to the development of the Russian media

TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman

© Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. TASS First Deputy Director General and international affairs journalist Mikhail Gusman turned 70 on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among those conveying congratulatory birthday wishes.

"For years, your life and professional history have been closely linked with one of the country’s oldest and most venerable news agencies. Your top-notch professional integrity, vast knowledge, and talent as a journalist and interviewer, as well as your considerable creative contribution to the development of the iconic TASS agency and the entire Russian media, have won you sincere esteem," Putin said in a congratulatory message published on the Kremlin website.

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Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev also saluted Gusman on his anniversary. "You have been contributing a great deal to boosting Azerbaijani-Russian cultural ties, facilitating efforts to enhance and strengthen friendly relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation," Aliyev pointed out. The Azerbaijani president awarded the TASS first deputy director general the nation’s Sharaf (or Honor) Order.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko emphasized in his congratulatory message to Mikhail Gusman that thanks to his comprehensive knowledge of history and global politics, and ability to win people over, Gusman had succeeded in creating a whole range of exclusive landmark projects.

Moldovan President Igor Dodon, in turn, extolled Gusman’s contribution "to strengthening TASS, which remains a symbol of effective and high-quality work for generations of journalists and the public, as it maintains the status of one of the world’s oldest and biggest news agencies."

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Mikhail Gusman was born in Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku on January 23, 1950. He graduated from Azerbaijan University of Languages and the Journalism Department of the Baku Higher School of Political Science. In 1995, he was appointed as Vice President of the ANKOM-TASS international think tank. In October 2000, the Russian president signed a decree appointing Gusman as TASS first deputy director general.

His popular TV program known as The Formula of Power has been on the air for nearly 20 years and earned him Russia’s State Award in literature and the arts. Gusman also holds the title of Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation. In addition, he was awarded the Order of Friendship, the Order of Honor, the Order of Merit Fourth Class. Over his career, he has won a number of international journalism awards. For years, Gusman has represented Russia in UNESCO’s International Program for the Development of Communication. In addition, Gusman has served on numerous boards of global media associations.

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