President Lee Teng-hui this morning confers the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon on world-renowned Russian musician Mstislav Rostropovich in recognition of his contribution to promoting human rights and artistic freedom.
The decorating ceremony is held at the Office of the President in Taipei. Mrs. Rostropovich, Dr. Ding Mou-shih (secretary-general of the ROC National Security Council), Mr. Stephen S. F. Chen (deputy secretary-general to the President), Dr. Jin Wu (minister of education), Ms. Lin Chen-chi (chairperson of the Council for Cultural Affairs, Executive Yuan), Mr. Y.D. Sheu (governor of the Central Bank of China), and Mr. Victor Trifonov (representative of the Moscow-Taipei Economic and Cultural Coordination Commission in Taipei) are invited to witness the ceremony.
In his remarks after receiving the medal, Mr. Rostropovich says he feels honored to be decorated by President Lee. "This is the most important moment in my life," he notes.
Meanwhile, the Russian cellist/conductor praises President Lee as a symbol of the world's democratization given the fact that President Lee is not only the first president of this country elected by direct, popular vote but also one of the few popularly elected heads of state in Asia.
Mr. Rostropovich points out that this is his seventh visit to Taiwan and that he likes this country very much and hopes to comes back more often. He is very glad to see his motherland Russia set up a representative office in the ROC for enhancing bilateral ties.
At the end of his speech, Mr. Rostropovich thanks President Lee again,saying that he will always treasure the accolade.