Armenia's PM attends event dedicated to declaring Gyumri CIS Cultural Capital

YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENRPESS. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan attended the celebrations dedicated to declaring Gyumri CIS Cultural Capital 2013, which was held on June 30. The Information and Public Relations Department of the Government of the Republic of Armenia informed “Armenpress” that a festive concert was given in “Vardanantz” Square of Gyumri. At the course of the concert the Mayor of Gyumri Samvel Balasanyan was given the certificate proving Gyumri as CIS Cultural Capital 2013. It is considered to hold 45 events within the framework of the program. The official closing ceremony of the aforesaid program is scheduled to take place on November 2.

The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Armenia Hasmik Poghosyan, the Chairman of CIS Executive Committee, Executive Secretary Toktassyn Buzubayev, Executive Director of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of CIS Member States (IFESCCO) Armen Smbatyan, delegations from foreign countries, representatives of diplomatic missions of various countries, and many others participated in the ceremony.

The second city of the Republic of Armenia Gyumri assumed the title “CIS cultural capital 2013” on the day of the official opening of the program, on June 30.

The financing of the interstate program “Gyumri CIS cultural capital 2013” will be carried out by the financial funds provided by the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Fund, the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Culture of Armenia and the Gyumri Municipality. The Government of the Republic of Armenia allocated 193 million 400 thousand AMD. Another 17 million AMD will be provided by the Gyumri Municipality to provide for the proper organization of the events and an appropriate reception of the guests.

The recognition of Gyumri as the CIS cultural capital 2013 has been accepted by the council session of the CIS country leaders, which took place in Ashgabat, the capital ofTurkmenistanon December 5, 2012. The participants of the session approved the “Cultural capital of partnership” interstate project’s regulations. This year Mogilev and Qabala along with Gyumri have been recognized as CIS cultural capitals.

The mission of the project is to create a tool which will become a productive means for developing the interstate cultural partnership. This will also benefit the creation of favorable conditions for economic, political collaboration as well as to raise the status of collaboration internationally and to develop the infrastructures, social-economic and humanitarian life of cities and regions.

The “Gyumri CIS cultural capital” project was presented on January 25, 2013, when the Humanitarian interstate foundation visited Armenia.