Doctor of Philology of Spain awarded the Dostyk Order

MADRID, September 15, 2020 - The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Spain hosted a ceremony to award the 2nd class Order of Dostyk to Maria Sanchez Puig, Doctor of Philology at the Complutense University, for her significant contribution to strengthening friendly relations between Kazakhstan and Spain, as well as for her services in promoting the Heritage of Abai Qunanbayuly.

Opening the event, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Konstantin Zhigalov emphasized that with the support of UNESCO, this special occasion is widely celebrated around the world, which is a tribute to a person who is rightly ranked among the exceptional geniuses.

With her remarkable translations of “The Book of Words” by Abai, “The Era of Independence” by the First President of Kazakhstan, Leader of the Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev, Anthologies of modern Kazakh prose and other works into Spanish, as well as highly professional work as a translator during high-level visits, Maria Sanchez has actively contributed to the rapprochement of the peoples and cultures of the two countries.

In turn, Maria Sanchez thanked the country's leadership for such a prestigious award. She expressed her deep respect for the ideas and policies of Nursultan Nazarbayev, which she gained an insight into while working on the translation of "The Era of Independence".

Quoting Abai's “The Book of Words”, she also pointed out that they helped her “see the depth of the soul of the Kazakh people and their desire for pragmatic development”. She called Abai one of the greatest philosophers of his time, whose thoughts are still relevant to this day.

The event was attended by Ana Salomon, Director General of North America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former first Vice-President of the European Parliament, holder of the 2nd class Dostyk Order of II degree, as well as representatives of social, political and business communities and Spanish media.