The Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots has held a forum on Kauai, Hawaii, followed by a conference of political and academic circles – both events dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Russian presence on the islands. Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho and Oleg Malginov, the head of the Department for Relations with Compatriots Abroad of the Russian Foreign Ministry, addressed activists of the Russian community, religious figures and scholars from Moscow, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and other regions. Viktor Orlov, who heads the Center for Global Issues and International Organizations Studies of the Russian Diplomatic Academy, reminded those present of the Old Russian Fort on Kauai as a symbol of efforts to preserve Russian cultural heritage on the island. This part of history should continue to unite the Russian and American peoples, he said.