The message reads, in part:
“Over the past years, the Vitebsk festival, themed Through Art to Peace and Mutual Understanding, has gained well-deserved international prestige. It gives composers, singers, poets, artists and performers in various genres a good opportunity to showcase their talent and skill, spend time with their colleagues and friends, share experience and plans.
As always, the Slavyansky Bazar programme is very rich and diverse. I would like to note that this year, it will feature a number of events marking two major anniversaries, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Union State Treaty, which are special highlights of the festival.
I would like to thank everyone who contributed to organising this festival. I am sure that it will serve the noble goals of spiritual unity and mutual enrichment of the two fraternal Slavic peoples’ cultures, and will help to deepen our multifaceted humanitarian cooperation.”