Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Astana, June 16 /Xinhua/ — Interaction in the field of culture, media communications and protection of historical and cultural heritage is becoming one of the key areas of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China, Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
According to her, the desire to preserve and popularize national heritage is a strategic priority for any country, and Kazakhstan, following this course, attaches particular importance to the protection of historical and cultural monuments.
Kazakhstan has approached this issue institutionally. As A. Balayeva said, a special commission on UNESCO affairs, headed by state adviser Erlan Karin, systematically considers the issues of including Kazakhstani sites in the UNESCO list. Among the latest achievements are nominations for inclusion of five underground mosques and ancient steppe cities.
Recently, a large working group has been operating in Kazakhstan with the participation of regional scientists and experts, whose activities cover three areas: the protection of monuments, intangible cultural heritage and documentary memory. “We have developed a huge plan of activities in these three areas and submitted it to a government meeting,” the minister said.
She paid special attention to the training of personnel: “It is very important to have specialists. Advanced training, the creation of special departments that train specialists in this field is a very important issue for us.” In this context, A. Balayeva noted significant interaction with China: “Specialists in the field of restoration, in the field of archival work, in the field of popularization of cultural heritage sites are very important. And in this area we have good interaction.”
According to the Minister, last year she had a meeting with her Chinese colleague, during which an agreement was reached on conducting internships, seminars and trainings for Kazakhstani specialists in China. “This is great, since this is what allows us to improve the qualifications of our employees, which improves the quality of work in the field of preserving historical and cultural heritage,” she noted.
The Minister emphasized the importance of cultural and humanitarian exchange for bringing peoples closer together. “To get to know the people of Kazakhstan, to feel the character, the soul of the people, it is very important to know the culture, traditions and customs,” said A. Balayeva.
In her opinion, such initiatives “promote mutual penetration of cultures” and motivate citizens of both countries to study each other’s history more deeply. “This interaction not only enriches, but also helps our teams build human relationships… New projects, new productions, joint events appear, which in turn helps strengthen the relationship between our countries,” the minister added.
Speaking about the current Year of Tourism of Kazakhstan in China, the Minister expressed confidence that such initiatives are very positive, as there is “high interest from citizens.” And the visa-free regime between the countries became possible “primarily due to the trusting relationship between the leaders of our countries.”
Touching on the challenges of the digital age, she stressed the need for “very close work in exchanging experiences in working in social networks,” as well as participation in media forums and conferences.
“Cooperation in the media sphere allows us to popularize the forum, tourist routes, culture, traditions and ultimately demonstrate the multiplier economic effect,” the minister said.
She noted that the level of interaction between the countries has reached a qualitatively new level: “If two years ago we talked about eternal friendship, now we are building a community with a common destiny. This shows that we are inextricably linked.”
The Minister also emphasized the close cooperation between Kazakh and Chinese media: “This is an exchange of media products… This is interaction in the area of improving the qualifications of our journalists… This is technology.” The participation of Chinese media in Central Asian media forums and upcoming events, according to her, opens up new horizons.
“Only through dialogue can we improve our work, expand areas of interaction… and deepen our cooperation in the field of mass media,” the minister emphasized.
In conclusion, she expressed confidence that the upcoming second China-Central Asia summit, which will be held with the participation of the leader of the PRC, will give new impetus to the entire spectrum of cooperation.
“These are new tasks, these are new challenges that we will work on together… All protocol instructions that will be adopted following the results of this summit will be unquestioningly carried out at the highest level,” concluded A. Balaeva. –0–