Minister of Culture and Sports HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, paid a formal visit to Russia from November 15 to 17.
The
minister’s visit was to participate in the VI St Petersburg
International Cultural Forum and to sign with his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Medinsky a joint declaration for co-operation between the
Qatari Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Russian Ministry of
Culture on preparation for Qatar Russia 2018 Year of Culture.
The visit followed an invitation from the organising committee of the VI St Petersburg International Cultural Forum.
In
this context, the minister emphasised that Qatar was keen to co-operate
with the Russian side to make the Year of Culture a basic pillar of
friendship between the peoples of the two countries, in response to
instructions by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to
have stronger relationships with Russia at the State and public levels.
On
the sidelines of the forum, HE al-Ali held several events with leaders
of participating delegations and exchanged views on modern cultural
issues and the role to be played by official cultural institutions to
bring people closer and to spread mutual understanding, as well as
common humanitarian values, the Ministry of Culture and Sports said in
a statement.
The minister met Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the
State Hermitage Museum, and discussed with him preparations for the Year
of Culture. Piotrovsky expressed his full support for the Year of
Culture event, which will be titled, ‘Qatar in the Hermitage’ in Russia
and ‘The Hermitage in Qatar’. The event will consist of cultural
lectures. Al-Ali also met with Vladimir Gusev, director of the Russian
Museum, and discussed with him ways of co-operation between the Russian
Museum and Qatari museums to hold artistic exhibitions featuring Russian
art.
The minister stressed that the Qatari Ministry of Culture and
Sports was keen to develop societal awareness of the common values of
peoples from different cultures, praising the Russian culture and its
impact on human civilisation.
HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali with Vladimir Medinsky.