Minister Wallin to attend the 8th Finnish-Russian Cultural Forum in Russia

Minister Wallin will attend the opening session on Thursday the 27th. The programme of the first day comprises speeches, a press conference and a cultural programme. On Friday the 28th Minister Wallin will co-chair the joint meeting of the Forum working groups together with the Russian Minister of Culture and Mass Communications A.S. Sokolov. During the Forum, Minister Wallin will meet directors of cultural administration in 12 regions in Russia (Murmansk Oblast, Republic of Karelia, City of St Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Tver Oblast, Pskov Oblast, Novgorod Oblast, Arkhagelsk Oblast, Vologda Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Republic of Komi and Nenets Autonomous Okrug). This year the Forum will also be attended by the City of Moscow and the Yaroslav and Smolensk Oblasts. The purpose of the new participating regions is to deepen and widen the Forum cooperation and build up the activities at the regional level.

This year's Cultural Forum will have a record attendance of 150 from Finland, nearly 80 of whom will be negotiating on joint projects with prospective Russian partners. Negotiations will be held on 66 projects in all.

The Finnish-Russian Cultural Forum activities were launched in 2000. They are geared to activate and facilitate cooperation between Finnish and Russian cultural actors. The three-day Cultural Forum is arranged alternately in Finland and Russia. Last year it was held in Kajaani.

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For more information:
- Counsellor for Cultural Affairs Maija Lummepuro, Ministry of Education, tel. +358-(0)9-160 77292