Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva met with the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Zhang Ming. The meeting took place in Almaty, which was declared the tourist and cultural capital of the SCO on the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the organization, El.kz reports.
Aida Balayeva emphasized that cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere is an essential foundation for strong relations among the SCO member states. The organization unites ten Eurasian countries where nearly half of the world's population resides, opening up incredible prospects for cultural exchange.
At the 21st Meeting of Ministers of Culture of SCO Member States, interim results of joint work were summarized, and the prospects for further cooperation were discussed. The successful practice of holding "Cultural Days" and joint cultural events continues.
In 2022-2023, Kazakhstan successfully hosted Culture Days of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, as well as Kazakh Culture Days in Russia and Azerbaijan. This year, events are planned as part of Kazakh Culture Days in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The Minister expressed confidence that continuing this practice under the auspices of the SCO will further promote cultural convergence among nations. Additionally, in 2023, the "Spiritual Sanctuaries of the SCO" project was launched on the initiative of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, under which the Ministry of Culture and Information is working on the reconstruction of the mausoleum of Khodja Ahmed Yasawi.
Zhang Ming expressed readiness to support all proposals of the Minister and provide assistance in their implementation.