Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 8 December (BelTA) – Belarus has a big potential to promote its cultural heritage on the international arena, Valery Voronetsky, Chairman of the Permanent Commission for International Affairs of the House of Representatives, noted at the offsite session of the commission headlined “Using the historical and cultural heritage to enhance Belarus’ international image” on 8 December, BelTA has learned.

According to the MP, the most important task of any country’s foreign policy is to improve its international image. The image of a country has a big influence on its international positions and reputation, the dynamics of cooperation, the possibilities of forming economic and political ties, and its attractiveness for investors and tourists. “In fact, the image is transferred into real investments and projects. In the context of struggle for resources and markets, we must pay attention to advancing the image of Belarus as a country with ancient history and statehood traditions,” he said.

In the past ten years, Belarus made a lot of effort to promote its image. The country hosted numerous economic forums, cultural and sports events, and this improved its international reputation. A lot of opportunities, however, have been overlooked in terms of promoting the Belarusian cultural heritage. The demonstration of deep historical roots of Belarus’ statehood and its cultural heritage will advance the country’s image at the international level, Valery Voronetsky believes.

In his words, at the current session the commission should come up with recommendations on promoting the image of Belarus abroad.