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SICOT e-Newsletter

Issue No. 15 - December 2009

Editorial by Prof Jochen Eulert
SICOT Secretary General

Friendship Nations of SICOT

With the aim of establishing a close and fruitful contact with the National Societies of Orthopaedics in different countries, SICOT has created a new and special kind of relationship called: "Friendship Nations".

With this distinction we want to honour the distinguished members of this particular Society on the one hand and to facilitate their attendance at a well defined congress of SICOT with an affordable price on the other.

In this spirit, SICOT offers a wide range of advantages to the officers of the selected National Orthopaedic Society as well as to the orthopaedic community of the country.

We are happy that at our last meeting in Pattaya, India accepted to be the first Friendship Nation and we thank its President, Prof Shantharam Shetty, for his warm words at the official Opening Ceremony.

For 2010, Japan is the Friendship Nation and we look very much forward to meeting with our colleagues from one of the most important national sections of SICOT, attending their special symposium at the Gothenburg meeting, and hearing the presidential speech.

In 2011, China will be the Friendship Nation at the SICOT meeting in Prague. China with its huge population and its great number of orthopaedic surgeons has only a small representation in SICOT. This is why we will focus in particular on membership and make it as easy and affordable as possible for our colleagues from China to join our international orthopaedic family in SICOT. As Prague is the door to the eastern part of Europe, we also invite the Russian speaking countries and their National Societies to be the Friendship Region for the 2011 meeting. This congress will focus particularly on the younger generation. Prices for accommodation and registration will be adapted to the limited financial resources of young surgeons. Their need for more education will be reflected throughout the scientific programme.

Dubai will host the conference in 2012 and we will invite the member countries of the Pan Arab Orthopaedic Association to become the Friendship Region of this event. They will also receive many advantages to be able to join SICOT and attend the meeting.

We hope with all our hearts that our efforts to meet the needs of specially selected countries by offering them the status of Friendship Nation will enhance a fruitful relationship between the Societies and result in a successful meeting where all participants find something useful for their clinical practice, thus leading to a better care for our patients.