The Great Silk Road Forum — platform for cultural cooperation of Eurasian countries

The Second Great Silk Road International Cultural Forum was held in Moscow on September 14-15, 2015. The organizers of the forum were the Chinese Foundation of Culture and Arts of Nations; the China’s Silk Road Fund; the Fund of Spiritual Development of people of Kazakhstan; the Intergovernmental Foundation for Humanitarian Cooperation for Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); the Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund with the support of the “Sin-ao” Corporation (People’s Republic of China). More than 300 eminent scientists, artists, politicians, businessmen and media representatives from countries along the Silk Road and also representatives of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) and UNESCO attended the meeting. The forum was officially opened and then led by Mr Mikhail Shvydkoy, Envoy of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation and Mr Zhang Xian-Lan, the Secretary-General of China Silk Road Foundation.

Ms. Olga Golodets, the deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Co-chair of Russia-China Commission for Humanitarian Cooperation and Mr Li Hui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of People’s Republic of China in Russian Federation delivered speeches during the Forum’s official opening ceremony while a message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, was delivered by Mr G.K. Ordzhonikidze, Secretary General of the Russian National Commission for UNESCO.

The main theme of the Forum was “Developing Partnership: Planning of joint projects for cultural cooperation”, in the frame of which the following issues were discussed: the implementation of Silk Road’s spirit and prospective collaboration in Eurasian space, Silk Roads tangible and intangible heritage as resource for cultural tourism development, Museum of XXI Century, use of advanced science and technology in cultural preservation etc.

One of the major outcomes of this Forum was the creation of a non-governmental Organisation for Cultural Cooperation “Eurasia – Silk Road”, a mechanism for implementation of the Forum’s recommendations as well as a tool for international collaboration between Eurasian countries.

The meeting was accompanied by a rich cultural program. The exhibition of young Eurasian artists called “Our way for a dream” curated by the Russian and Chinese Art schools, Surikov Moscow State Academic Institute and Beijing Academy of Fine Arts was opened in the “Central House of Artist” on Krymsky Val Street, Moscow. In the framework of the event, called “Silk Road Pearl”, different projects aimed at preserving folk traditions of the three organizing countries – China, Russia and Kazakhstan, were presented too.

The cultural program was closed with the performance of the International Silk Road Symphony Orchestra in Bolshoi Theater's New Stage, which included musicians from 14 countries. The concert included musical pieces of classical and contemporary musicians.

The Forum adopted a document, “The Moscow Consensus”, calling for the principles of equal rights, spirit of openness and quest for development, mutual respect and benefit as foundation of relationships in the humanitarian interaction between different communities.