India, Russia sign Cultural Exchange Programme

New Delhi, Feb 1: Deepening their cultural ties at a moremeaningful level, India and Russia have signed a Cultural ExchangeProgramme (CEP), 2007-09, facilitating bilateral exchange of artexhibitions and works of folk art as well as delegations of painters,handicraftsmen, art critics and experts in traditional folk art.

More importantly, they agreed to hold the 'Year of Russia inIndia' in 2008 and the 'Year of India in Russia' in 2009. They willalso regularly exchange information about the international book fairsheld in their respective countries.

The CEP, which was signed during the recent visit of RussianPresident Vladimir Putin to India, was initialled by Tourism andCulture Minister Ambika Soni and her Russian counterpart AlexanderSokolov.

The CEP makes it incumbent on both the countries to renderassistance in exchanging folklore, musical, theatre, ballet and circusgroups and individual performers for participation in tours, festivalsand other cultural events.

Further, India and Russia will also work towards development ofcooperation in the field of fine arts, exchange of art exhibitions andworks of folk art as well as delegations of painters, handicraftsmen,art critics and experts in traditional folk art.

Russian libraries, including the Russian State Library, willexchange, on a reciprocal basis, publications and other readingmaterials of mutual interest with the National Library, Kolkata.

Both the countries will assist in exchanging visit of libraryexperts reciprocally with a view to promoting library activities inRussia and India. They will also exchange visits of museum curators andconservators for a period not exceeding 10 days.

According to the CEP, the two countries will continue to renderassistance to Russian and Indian experts for joint studies of theheritage of the Roerich family, its popularisation and publication ofthe results of research and archival material.

In the field of audio-visual media, India and Russia will assistcooperation in TV and radio on the basis of arrangements betweenrespective companies and organisations of the two countries.

They will also exchange text books, publications and audio-visualmaterial in the field of high school education. Joint exhibitions,seminars, research programmes and publications in the field of highschool education are also to be organised.

Both the countries will organise training programmes foreducational administrators and teachers and encourage exchange ofvisits of lecturers of Hindi language and literature as well asteachers of other Indian languages and of Russian language andliterature on mutually beneficial terms.

The two countries will cooperate in preparation of books andaudio-visual aids designed for teaching of Hindi and other Indianlanguages and Russian language. They will assist the development ofbilateral contacts and exchanges in the fields of higher professionaleducation, science and research between higher educational institutionsof the countries.

The Institute for Scientific Information in Social Sciences,Russian Academy of Sciences will continue exchange of scientificliterature with the National Library of India, libraries of leadinguniversities and research centres on social sciences and humanities.

India and Russia will promote youth exchange programmes to studyand get acquainted with each other's youth-related programmes, policiesand institutions and to participate in youth festivals and camps on areciprocal basis.

A delegation of young Russian painters will also participate inthe famous Shankar's International Children's painting competition inthe national capital.

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