Humanitarian dimension described as one of most important areas of cooperation in CIS

Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee – CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev sent greetings to the 15th edition of the CIS Forum of Creative and Scientific Intellectuals, BelTA learned from the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.

Tashkent's hosting the forum testifies to its commitment to expanding humanitarian cooperation within the CIS and developing the common humanitarian space, the message reads. Sergei Lebedev also considers it symbolic that such a significant humanitarian event is taking place in Uzbekistan, a country with a very rich cultural and historical past, and that it wraps up 2022, the Year of Folk Art and Cultural Heritage in the CIS.

"The humanitarian dimension is one of the key areas of mutually beneficial cooperation in the CIS, is an important unifying principle based on historical and cultural commonality, spiritual traditions and values, trust between peoples. Over the more than 30-year history of the CIS, the CIS countries have advanced humanitarian cooperation across a very wide range of areas, primarily the formation of the common educational, scientific, information and cultural spaces. The CIS member states cooperate in youth affairs, public health protection and the provision of medical care to citizens of the CIS countries, in the field of physical culture and sports, tourism, book publishing, book distribution and printing," Sergei Lebedev said in his message of greetings.

The motto of the current forum is "Humanitarian cooperation - the experience of thirty years and development prospects". According to Sergei Lebedev, in this context it is important that the forum will highlight such topical issues of humanitarian cooperation in the CIS as the scientific and educational community, the newest cultural code of the CIS, new mechanisms for integrating the literature of the CIS countries, and cooperation between the youth of the CIS countries.

"It is important that in the Year of Folk Art and Cultural Heritage the forum will host a discussion on the topic ‘The Cultural Heritage of the CIS Countries'. The humanitarian theme of this year is largely consistent with the theme of the representative international Craft Fair, which ended in the capital of Uzbekistan in early December, the Tourism along the Silk Road 2022 fair, the international dance festival Lazgi (Khiva), the sixth edition of the international congress ‘Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan - the Foundation of the New Renaissance' (Samarkand),” Sergei Lebedev noted.

According to him, the development of humanitarian cooperation within the framework of the CIS will be facilitated by the decisions adopted the day by the heads of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States: namely the statement on the development of cooperation in the field of culture, the plan of priority activities in humanitarian cooperation for 2023-2024, the action plan to the CIS Year of the Russian Language as a Language of Interethnic Communication in 2023, the international project "The CIS Youth Capital” and the interstate program "CIS Capitals of Culture" in the city of St. Petersburg, the presentation of which will take place within the framework of the current forum.

Sergei Lebedev expressed confidence that thanks to the open and trusting atmosphere, the solidarity position of the creative and scientific intellectuals the forum will make a worthy contribution to the tasks related to the development of humanitarian interaction and intercultural dialogue in the CIS.