Ukraine joins CIS program

The draft presidential decree "On Ukraine's Accession to Decision of CIS Heads of States on 'Cultural Capital of the Commonwealth' Interstate Program” was adopted at the Cabinet's meeting on Jan. The document was prepared by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, the Information-Analytical Bulletin of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine informs.

The purpose of the measure is to help further develop cultural cooperation within the Commonwealth of Independent States. The program was adopted on Dec. 5, 2012 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Back then, Ukraine did not adopt the Program as it was not the member of the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation of CIS countries. Ukraine's accession to the Council occurred on June 19, 2013 through the relevant presidential decree, which enabled the country to join the Program.

The government is confident that Ukraine's participation in the project will contribute to the revitalization of cultural communication of the CIS countries on the basis of universal values, tolerance, friendship and good neighborliness, inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony, respect for the culture, language, history and traditions of different peoples, as well as lay the groundwork for the implementation of multilateral projects in the humanitarian sphere. Ultimately, according to government experts, it will contribute to a positive international image of the country.

According to the developers, the Program will help deepen interstate cooperation in culture, will create favorable conditions for economic and political cooperation of the CIS countries, will give a powerful impetus to humanitarian, social, economic and infrastructural development.

The document envisages annual concentration of creative resources in non-capital cities of the CIS countries, which were given the status of "Cultural Capital of the Commonwealth," and creation of a range of cultural and humanitarian activities on this basis.