DUSHANBE, 17.10.2018 /NIAT “Khovar”/. The 33rd session of the CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States) Council for Cultural Cooperation took place in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from 12 to 13 October, the press service of the CIS Executive Committee told Khovar.

The meeting was attended by delegations from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Executive Committee and the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS, the International Delphic Committee. “During the meeting the parties discussed the status of implementation of major projects in 2016-2020 and a plan of actions dedicated to the CIS Year of Culture, the interstate program “CIS Capital of Culture” in 2018. In 2019 the CIS Capital of Culture will move to Brest which will celebrate its 1000th anniversary. In 2020 this right will be awarded to one of the cities of Kazakhstan,” Ilona Nemova said.

The meeting also examined the project to set up a traveling exhibition of books by contemporary authors of the CIS states “Let’s read together, let’s know each other better”, the publication of the interstate analytical journal “The Commonwealth of Arts”. The meeting participants also discussed a project to arrange international Art Expo, reviewed the progress in the preparation of a draft agreement on cooperation in museum affairs, and took stock of the CIS international treaties and decisions in the field of cinematography. In addition, members of the council got familiar with information on the organization of the CIS Youth Delphic Games in 2017-2018.

2018 has been declared the Year of Culture in the CIS. 2019 will be announced the Year of Book. “The meeting of the CIS culture ministers is a great opportunity to discuss the interim results of the Year of Culture in the CIS countries. It is important for us to involve young people in the cultural processes in our countries. We discussed this issue at the meeting in St. Petersburg,” said Chairman of the CIS Council for Cultural Cooperation, Belarus Culture Minister Yuri Bondar.

According to State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Culture Alla Manilova of Russia, the council discussed, among other things, the results of the open discussion «Women in Culture: Traditions and Innovations» held on the sidelines of the second Eurasian Women’s Forum. “The topic of ethnography and the topic of cooperation of museums should become the foundation for new projects. The world is tired of fast food both in catering and also in culture. People are interested in something real, something unique, original, and live. We decided to support the project of sharing experience between museum workers of the CIS countries through internships in Russia,” she said.

The CIS Council for Cultural Cooperation was established in 1995. It is engaged in boosting cooperation between the CIS member states in the humanitarian and cultural sector, developing a common humanitarian space, searching for new forms and mechanisms of cooperation, including the organization of joint forums, conferences, theater, music and film festivals, the development of projects of multilateral international agreements and comprehensive programs.