By Galina Vesnina
The forum — organised annually by the Belarusian Education Ministry with support from the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Co-operation — gathered representatives from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.
The Deputy Head for Youth Affairs at Belarus’ Education Ministry, Lilia Protas, met Friendship Without Borders participants, saying that, every year, CIS states jointly organise over 20 projects. As part of their agreement on co-operation in the field of youth work, the parties render mutual experience exchange between state bodies overseeing youth affairs and between youth public associations. Additionally, member countries take part in joint scientific research, seminars, symposiums, conferences and consultations on youth policy.
CIS youngsters actively participate in events aiming to strengthen neighbourly relations and expand young people’s experience of the culture and history of CIS states. The Baltic Artek Camp and the International Slavonic Commonwealth Camp promote friendships while the Russian Seliger Educational Forum is also popular, being situated on the lake of the same name in Russia’s Tver Region.
Belarusian youngsters also take part in the international Be-La-Rus Camp (not far from the Mount of Friendship, at the intersection of the borders of Belarus, Latvia and Russia in the Vitebsk Region’s Verkhnedvinsk District). Meanwhile, Belarus hosts the International Slavonic Unity Festival every year, near the Monument of Friendship on the border of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
