Preparations for Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture discussed

Minister of Culture and Sports HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali,  paid a formal visit to Russia from November 15 to 17.Theminister’s visit was to participate in the VI St PetersburgInternational Cultural Forum and to sign with his Russian counterpartVladimir Medinsky a joint declaration for co-operation between theQatari Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Russian Ministry ofCulture 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.Inthis context, the minister emphasised that Qatar was keen to co-operatewith the Russian side to make the Year of Culture a basic pillar offriendship between the peoples of the two countries, in response toinstructions by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani tohave stronger relationships with Russia at the State and public levels.Onthe sidelines of the forum, HE al-Ali held several events with leadersof participating delegations and exchanged views on modern culturalissues and the role to be played by official cultural institutions tobring people closer and to spread mutual understanding, as well ascommon humanitarian values, the Ministry of Culture and Sports said ina  statement. The minister met Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of theState Hermitage Museum, and discussed with him preparations for the Yearof Culture. Piotrovsky expressed his full support for the Year ofCulture event, which will be titled, ‘Qatar in the Hermitage’ in Russiaand ‘The Hermitage in Qatar’.  The event will consist of culturallectures.  Al-Ali also met with Vladimir Gusev, director of the RussianMuseum, and discussed with him ways of co-operation between the RussianMuseum and Qatari museums to hold artistic exhibitions featuring Russianart. The minister stressed that the Qatari Ministry of Culture andSports was keen to develop societal awareness of the common values ofpeoples from different cultures, praising the Russian culture and itsimpact on human civilisation.