Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
ST. Petersburg, SANA-With the participation of Syria and more than 40 countries, the Russian city of St. Petersburg hosted the activities of the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum “United Cultures” with the aim of discussing current trends and issues for developing the modern cultural environment and exchanging ideas.
Delivering a speech in front of th Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that multipolarity constitutes one of the ways to make the world more just, there is a demand by certain forces in the world for cultural uniqueness, but the future lies in the multicultural development, adding that the wealth possessed by many countries, especially European and the USA, were largely dependent on colonialism and slavery.
Putin stressed that one of the main reasons for the current tensions in the world is the claim of uniqueness by some powers and their contempt for other peoples’ customs and spiritual values.
“I am certain that time will set everything straight.” Putin underlined.
Putin highlighted “In 2016, after the liberation of the Syrian city of Palmyra, our specialists from the Institute for the History of Material Culture, together with their Syrian colleagues, began urgent measures to save the monument and created a project for its restoration, which they will begin implementing soon.”
He added that Moscow is ready to transfer the experience of restoring the ruins of Palmyra to other sites in the Middle East, but this requires special circumstances.
The Minister of Culture, Dr. Lubana Mshaweh, in turn, confirmed in her speech before the forum that the Syrians are the builders of a civilization and that the Syrian state is adhered to protect its cultural heritage and ensure its sustainability.
Mshaweh stressed that Syria believes in the nobility of its humanitarian mission and its right to exercise its cultural sovereignty, which is a right equivalent to the right to self-determination away from all forms of domination and marginalization.
The Minister said “Cultural diversity is rich and powerful, and cultural sovereignty requires protecting our heritage, recovering what was stolen and smuggled from it during the terrorist war against Syria, supporting local cultural initiatives, and continuing to nurture intellectuals and creators of all ages and in various fields.”
Mshaweh called on the participants to unite in confronting the Israeli machine of crime and annihilation that is claiming the lives of the Palestinian people and try to uproot an entire people from its land and culture.
The 9th St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum – the United Cultures Forum takes place between November 16 and 18. The event is organized by the Government and the Ministry of Culture of Russia, as well as St. Petersburg city authorities and the State Hermitage Museum. TASS is the event’s general informational partner.
