The International Native Tongue Day was celebrated during an event held in the business and cultural center of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia, BelTA learned from the press service of the diplomatic mission.

“For almost 20 years, the Mother Language Day has been celebrated in different countries of the world, and Belarus is no exception: many events dedicated to the native language are held in different places of Belarus which hold a large number of historical and cultural values and are the keepers of spiritual heritage,” senior advisor of the embassy, head of the business and cultural center Vasily Chernik said.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Ivan Antonovich noted that “the Belarusian language has its own history: both tragic and also glorious and great”. In his view, Belarus has pursued a smart policy of bilingualism and of equivalence of the Belarusian and Russian languages.

The guests of the event saw the Lit-Art exhibition featuring calligraphy and font works by Belarusian artists and organized by the National Center for Contemporary Arts. The guests were also treated to some Belarusian language poetry, and also singing and dancing by Medunitsa company of the Mogilev Regional Philharmonic.

The event was attended by officials of the Standing Committee of the Belarus-Russia Union State, veterans of the Russian Foreign Ministry's diplomatic service, representatives of the academic and artistic communities of Moscow, public associations of Belarusians in Russia, and students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

The International Mother Language Day has been observed annually since 2000 to promote peace and multilingualism around the world and to protect all mother languages. The day has been proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

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