DUSHANBE, July 17, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The CIS Council for Humanitarian Cooperation (CHC) and the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation (IFHC) yesterday announced the beginning of nomination of candidates for the Star of the Commonwealth Awards 2009, according to press release issued by IFHC.

Based on submissions and recommendations by the governments of the CIS states that are participants of CHC and/or IFHC, recipients are selected for their significant contributions in the area of science and education, culture and arts, as well as humanitarian activity promoting expansion of educational and cultural cooperation and development of intercultural dialogue and humanitarian cooperation within the CIS area, Aleksandr Kalugin, a spokesman for IFHC, said.

The list of prize winners will be published in December this year and the award ceremony for the winners is expected to take place until April 2010.  The award of 2 million Russian rubles will be handed over together with the certificate, Kalugin added.