Third Pan-European Festival Marathon completed in Russia

Thứ Hai, 24/04/2017, 18:51

PSNews - The third Pan-European festival marathon "From the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean" was completed in Vladivostok, Russia on April 21 as its last event within the framework of the festival - the international conference on cultural dialogue between the Big Europe and Asia-Pacific countries, was also concluded successfully.

The idea to hold the Pan-European Festival Marathon was initiated by the Russian Parliamentary European club in 2013 as a cultural project to show unity of the Big Europe. The motto of these Marathons is “For Europe without dividing lines”.

Speaking at the conference, Andrey Klimov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Council of the Russian Federation said: “In the context of international unpredictability, cultural exchanges will be a bridge to enhance connections among nations in an effort to avoid conflict and promote solidarity, friendship and mutual development.”

Delegates at the event.

According to Andrey Klimov, through the activities of the Pan-European Festival Marathon 2017, countries will have a more detailed view on the role of culture in shaping foreign policy in the future.

Denis Bochkarev, deputy governor of Primorskyi region, said: "International integration has now been prioritized by most countries in the world. So alongside political and economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy will soon become a leading element in foreign policy in the future of many countries. "

At the conference, young delegates from different countries discussed the valuable and significant role of culture in consolidating unity in the region stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Delegates also introduced many international projects on cultural cooperation and underscored the prospects of international cultural centers in the Asia-Pacific region.

Andrey Klimov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Council of the Russian Federation and Denis Bochkarev, deputy governor of Primorskyi region.

BOX: Festival Marathons were held under the aegis of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation, while also receiving supports from UNESCO, Federal agency “Rossotrudnichestvo”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture of Russia, local governments of several regions of Russia as well as the Russian parliamentary “Euro-Asian Dialogue” and European club.

The First Marathon was held in June, 2014, which was also timed to the Year of Culture in Russia. It started in Perm, near the Europe-Asia borderline. Within the framework of the two-week Marathon, the participants visited Riga (Cultural Capital of the EU-2014), Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Valetta, London, Lisbon, and Moscow as a final destination. All events and developments of the Marathon were reported on its special website.

The second Marathon was timed to the Russian Year of Literature and started at the end of May, 2015 in Vladivostok, then moved to Moscow, Hamburg, Milano (within EXPO-2015), Portu, Paris (Conference in UNESCO), Mons (Cultural Capital of the EU-2015), and was finished in Perm.

Local people attending the 2nd Festival in 2016.

Many international conferences and round tables, exhibitions, presentations, contests, concerts and festivals were organized during both Marathons. Total number of participants were over 40,000 people from more than 50 countries. More than 20 meetings of Russian MPs with their colleagues from the European Parliament and parliaments of many European countries, city administrations were held.

Phung Nguyen (from Vladivostok, Russia)