Belarus holds roundtable on SCO cultural and humanitarian cooperation after its official accession
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officials held a roundtable to discuss prospects for greater cultural and humanitarian cooperation in Vitebsk, Belarus, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Attending the event, discussing Dialogue of cultures – the unifying factor of the peoples of the SCO, were the heads of culture ministries and ambassadors of the 10 member states of the SCO – Kazakhstan, Belarus, India, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, as well as Azerbaijan as a guest country.
Opening the roundtable, Belarusian Culture Minister Anatoliy Markovich recalled that Belarus became a full-fledged member of the SCO on July 4, 2024.
The SCO is not only about security, economic and trade. It’s also about a mutual enrichment of cultures, leading to a definite rapprochement of our peoples, said Markovich, citing the Belarusian President.
As SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming noted, today’s roundtable is the first event Belarus holds after its SCO accession during the SCO summit in Astana in July. According to him, cultural cooperation is among the key partnership areas within the SCO, preserving the shared diversified contribution to the activity of the organization.
In the Astana Declaration adopted during the Astana SCO summit the states unanimously expressed support for the expansion of cultural interaction as the main factor in promoting peace, cooperation and prosperity in the SCO space, said Zhang Ming.
In his speech, Deputy Culture and Information Minister of Kazakhstan Yevgeni Kochetov stressed that Belarus’s SCO accession will further enhance mutual trust, good-neighborliness and promote multifaceted cooperation within the organization.
He also thanked the Belarusian side for inviting Kazakhstan to join the International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk.
Slavianski Bazaar is of special importance for Kazakhstan, as our artists conquered its stage, including world-renowned Dimash Kudaibergen. Kazakhstan’s famed singer Roza Rymbayeva is an honorary member of the contest’s jury, said Kochetov.
He also added that the artists of the State Concert Organization Kazakhconcert named after Roza Baglanova and the collective of the renewed ensemble Gulder are to perform during this year’s festival.
