A literary evening dedicated to International Mother Language Day and the Year of the Belarusian Woman was held on February 19 at the Loshitsa Estate historical and cultural complex in Minsk.
The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Belarus, as well as members of the National Commission for UNESCO. In total, the festive evening brought together over 100 guests from 30 countries.
Representing the CIS Executive Committee at the literary evening was Commonwealth of Independent States Deputy Secretary-General Nurlan Seitimov.
As part of the literary program, heads of diplomatic missions from India, China, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Syria recited works by prominent Belarusian authors dedicated to women, mothers, and the Motherland.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov addressed the participants with a welcoming speech in Belarusian. He noted that International Mother Language Day, established on the initiative of UNESCO, reminds people of the value and uniqueness of every language, its role in preserving cultural heritage and shaping national identity.
The Foreign Minister described the diplomats’ participation in the literary evening as evidence of unconditional respect for Belarusian culture. He expressed special gratitude to the heads of diplomatic missions who showed willingness to read poetry and prose by Belarusian poets and writers.
The head of the Foreign Ministry recalled that historically Belarus has developed a respectful and organic coexistence of its two state languages – Belarusian and Russian.