It would be little to say that I was shocked when learning
about the sudden demise of Sviatoslav Lukianenko ...
On this very sad opportunity, and since I cannot be physically
present to tell him goodbye this coming Thursday, I wanted to hereby tell all of
you I share your rief and your sorrows.
Sviatoslav was for me the model elder brother, since the time
we first met in September 1977 -we both were new to Geneva. He had joined the secretariat of the
International Social Security Association a few months before, and we shared the
same office for more than three years.
His presence, his smile, his simplicity, his extreme kindness
and friendliness, coupled with a remarkable sense of duty, a natural, unquestionable authority and an impressing
level of profesionalism made it so, that I admired and respected him as I seldom
admired and respected anyone.
And I dare to add that we were real friends. Not colleagues,
not only colleagues. Throughout the years, and despite our diverging paths,
links remained, until we luckily happened to again meet and work together on a
more regular basis, that time in Moscow.
I leave it to others, more competent and knowledgeable in this
area, to evoke the exemplary professional career of Mr. Lukianenko. As for me, I
wanted just to tel you I just lost someone I loved, someone I mourn. I miss him
so very much - and my thoughts go to Nadia, as do the feelings of sadness and
disbelief Monique asked me to also convey on her behalf.
Sviatoslav will remain, for ever and for all times, this kind,
smiling giant to whom I owe so much as a person.
SVIATOSLAV 
