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Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, during her visit to Poland, met with the country’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Marta Cienkowska.
Minister Andreasyan’s deputy, Artur Martirosyan; the Director of the History Museum of Armenia, Davit Poghosyan; and the Director of the Matenadaran, Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Arayik Khzmalyan also attended the meeting.
Minister Zhanna Andreasyan thanked for the reception, noting that the already established cooperation in the cultural sector provides a reliable foundation for developing new initiatives and joint programs, according to a readout.
The minister proposed considering the implementation of new initiatives aimed at deepening Armenia–Poland cultural ties by expanding cooperation between relevant institutions and creative organizations. In this context, the importance of expert exchange programs was emphasized, as well as strengthening cooperation in the fields of literature, theater, filmmaking, music, fine arts, museum and library work, publishing, and the preservation of monuments and intangible cultural heritage.
Zhanna Andreasyan suggested exploring the establishment of cooperation between the History Museum of Armenia and Polish museums, including the organization of joint exhibitions. She invited her Polish counterpart to visit Armenia to sign a memorandum of cooperation.
During the meeting, the sides discussed issues related to organizing reciprocal cultural days, fostering connections between filmmakers, and encouraging participation in film festivals in both countries.
Referring to cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage, Andreasyan noted that successful collaboration has already been established with the Polish side in the field of archaeological excavations. The sides also discussed implementing expert exchange programs in the preservation of museums and monuments. Andreasyan highlighted that the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports has extensive experience in conducting training courses for museum restorers and proposed considering cooperation in this area as well.
Both sides underscored the importance of collaborating within the frameworks of international organizations, particularly various UNESCO programs.
During her visit to Poland, the minister also toured Warsaw’s Zachęta National Gallery of Art. Last year, the gallery hosted an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Sergey Parajanov’s birth, which attracted around 60,000 visitors. Members of the Armenian delegation toured the gallery with Director Agnieszka Pindera and viewed the exhibits. Andreasyan expressed gratitude for organizing the exhibition dedicated to Parajanov’s centenary and proposed considering the possibility of implementing similar initiatives with Armenian museums.