President welcomed guests and participants of Universiade-2017

"Dear guests, participants! Kazakhstan welcomes all athletes, fans on or hospitable land. It has taken us more than five years to reach this day to open the Universiade. This path has made us stronger and made us a team going to the common goal and has changed the image of Almaty. We thank the International University Sports Federation and its President Oleg Vassilyevich Matytsin. We thank everyone for taking part in preparation for this event including three thousand volunteers. On this stadium there have gathered the messengers of hundreds of leading universities of the planet. We are confident that among you are the future Olympic champions, winners of world competitions and future politicians, economists and businessmen. From the first days of independence our country has been adhering to the ideals of unity, cooperation and aspiration to the safe future. Through sport, science and culture we want to communicate to each continent Kazakhstan's formula of tolerance, peace and development", said Nursultan Nazarbayev  in the opening ceremony.