Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 22 November (BelTA) - Belarusian young people should have more opportunities to visit Russian centers of culture, Mikhail Shvydkoi, the Russian President's Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation, said at the expert and media forum to discuss the new vectors of humanitarian cooperation in the Union State in Moscow on 22 November, BelTA has learned.

“We need to provide more opportunities for Belarusian youth to visit the Russian cultural centers - Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities,” Mikhail Shvydkoi said.

The problem of youth tourism requires special attention. “If we look at the routes that our young people-schoolchildren, students, working youth – move around, we will see that we have a large number of opportunities here. Youth tourism between Belarus and Russia is a topic which we should pay more attention to,” Mikhail Shvydkoi noted.

Referring to the interaction between the Belarusian and Russian universities, Mikhail Shvydkoi said that cooperation between them requires de-bureaucratization. Due to bureaucratic obstacles, the higher education institutions of the two countries often find it difficult to conclude even an agreement on cooperation. “This should be done easy, almost automatically,” he said.

“We have an advantage that other countries lack. Belarus and Russia have a huge historical potential that we need to tap into for the sake of future generations,” said the special representative of the Russian president.

The forum to discuss the new vectors of humanitarian cooperation in Union State is running in Moscow on 22-23 November. Taking part in the event are representatives of the humanitarian sectors of Belarus and Russia who have gathered to discuss issues related to museums, libraries, book publishing, and education. The forum was organized by the Union State Permanent Committee and the international news agency Russia Today.