Russia Signs Cultural Cooperation Agreements With Abkhazia, Armenia, Mali At ICF

The Russian Culture Ministry signed on Thursday agreements on cultural cooperation with Abkhazia, Armenia and Mali during the 7th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum (ICF), currently ongoing in Russia's second largest city.

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2018) The Russian Culture Ministry signed on Thursday agreements on cultural cooperation with Abkhazia, Armenia and Mali during the 7th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum (ICF), currently ongoing in Russia's second largest city.

The agreements were signed by Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, Abkhazia's Minister of Culture and Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage Elvira Arsalia, Armenian Culture Minister Lilit Makunt and Malian Culture Minister N'Diaye Ramatoulaye Diallo.

"Traditionally, during the forum international agreements are signed they form the basis for long-term agreements, programs, cross-culture years, festivals, exhibitions, and joint theater and cinema projects," Medinsky said following the agreements' signing.

Arsalia, for her part, revealed to Sputnik the details of the agreement signed with Abkhazia.

"Today we signed a plan for bilateral cooperation in 2019. It will include theater exchanges, exhibitions of Abkhazian artists in a Russian city among other events.

Russia and Abkhazia have always been linked spiritually and culturally. This agreement will allow us to lift this connection to a higher level," Arsalia indicated.

She recalled that the year 2018 marked the 10th anniversary of Russian-Abkhazian cultural seasons.

"Over the past 10 years we have jointly carried out more than 200 events involving all aspects cultural cooperation: starting with theater and museum exchanges and ending with events dedicated to the preservation of historical and cultural heritage," Arsalia stated.

The ICF, organized by the Russian government, the Culture Ministry, and the government of St. Petersburg, started earlier in the day and will end on Friday.

The forum has been recognized as a global event, annually attracting thousands of professionals and lovers of arts, particularly theater, opera and ballet stars; renowned directors and musicians; public figures; as well as representatives of governments, and business and academic communities.