Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 21 June (BelTA) – The Commonwealth Capitals of Culture project show the traditions of provincial cities and unlock their potential, Chairperson of the CIS Council for Cultural Cooperation, Minister of Culture of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan told BelTA.

“Usually our countries communicate at the level of the capitals. The project gives us an opportunity to learn more about the customs of the regions. It is important both for the national culture and international cooperation,” she said.

Hasmik Poghosyan views the cooperation between Belarus’ Mogilev and Armenia’s Gyumri, the CIS Capitals of Culture in 2013, as vital. “Direct relations between the two cities help establish creative contacts, intellectual communication, make them closer in every area. We have already been to Mogilev, discussed joint projects. In late June Gyumri will assume the status of the CIS Capital of Culture. We hope that a delegation from Mogilev will visit us to mark the event,” she added.

The CIS held the pilot project, Commonwealth Capitals of Culture, in 2011. The program was developed following the initiative and with an active participation of the CIS Council for Humanitarian Cooperation, the CIS Council for Cultural Cooperation and the CIS Interstate Fund of Humanitarian Cooperation.

The first honorary status, the Commonwealth Capital of Culture, was given to Belarus’ Gomel and Russia’s Ulyanovsk. These two cities were named Capitals of Culture of these countries. In 2012 the Commonwealth Capital of Culture status was held by Kazakhstan’s Astana and Turkmenistan’s Mary. This year the Commonwealth Capital of Culture program is implemented in Mogilev (Belarus), Gyumri (Armenia), and Qabala (Azerbaijan).

The project is aimed, first of all, at the creation of a favorable climate for uniting cultural potentials and expansion of cultural relations between the CIS member states, preparing the ground for economic and political cooperation, developing various territories and cities of the countries.

On 20 June Minsk played host to the 28^th meeting of the CIS Council for Cultural Cooperation. Partaking in the forum were representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the International Delphic Committee and the CIS Executive Committee. The members of the council discussed the state cultural policy in the Republic of Belarus, the status and prospects of cultural cooperation in the Commonwealth, organization of the CIS Open Youth Delphic Games, the draft provisions on the international exhibition Art Expo. The participants of the forum also considered the implementation of the interstate program Commonwealth Capitals of Culture, the strategy of the international youth cooperation, preparations for the celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the Victory in the Great patriotic War, and other issues.