The President attended the plenary session of the United Cultures Forum in St Petersburg. Key takeaways from Vladimir Putin’s speech:
The thousand-year history of Russia shows the significance of cultural diversity as a paramount asset, and that the synergy of cultures is essential for stable and peaceful development.
The current global tensions are, in part, fuelled by certain forces’ claims of exclusivity, including cultural exclusivity, and their disregard for others’ customs and spiritual values.
The future belongs to a free and diverse development of cultures and the broadest dialogue among humanitarian communities in the emerging multipolar world.
Genuine art plays a crucial role in preventing those who falsify history from distorting the past to suit current ideological constructs, pitting people against one another.
Efforts to “cancel” Russian culture, which is rooted in true freedom and compassion, love for humanity and spirituality, are anti-cultural, neo-colonial, and racist in their essence.
Art knows no borders despite bans and sanctions.
The Russian language has been and remains a language of interethnic communication for hundreds of millions of people around the world. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed to establish an International Organisation for the Russian Language, which was supported by Russia and the leaders of the CIS.
Next year Russia will assume the presidency in two international organisations - BRICS and the CIS, with an extensive cultural programme planned. We are also looking forward to increasing cultural and humanitarian cooperation with the SCO, ASEAN, and leading regional organisations in Africa and Latin America.
Russia is committed to collaborating closely with all those who share the values of peace, friendship and mutual respect, and are ready to actively contribute to the formation of a modern multipolar world based on civilisational and cultural diversity.
Source