Mushaweh at St. Petersburg Cultural Forum: Syria believes in its noble cultural message and right to practice its cultural sovereignty

Syrian Minister of Culture Lubana Mushaweh has stressed that the Syrians are the builders of a more than 12.000-year-old civilization and that the Syrian state has undertaken the task of protecting this cultural heritage and guaranteeing its sustainability.

“Syria believes in its noble cultural message and right to practice its cultural sovereignty, a right that is equal to the right to self-determination away from all forms of marginalization, hegemony or cancellation, “Mushaweh said in a speech at the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum “United Cultures” which was held on Friday in the Russian city of St. Petersburg with the participation of 40 countries.

Participants in the forum discussed the current trends for developing the modern cultural environment and exchanged ideas and opinions on these trends.

Mushaweh added “cultural diversity gives richness and strength and cultural sovereignty requires protecting our heritage and recover what has been stolen from us and what has been smuggled during the terrorist war on our country. The cultural sovereignty also necessitates supporting local cultural initiatives, continuously supporting intellectuals and innovators of all ages and in different fields, protecting authors’ rights and supporting innovative and digital cultural industries”.

She called on the participants in the forum to be more active as to unify their cultures and to confront the Israeli criminality and war of extermination that kills the Palestinian people.

Opening the forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “multipolarity is a way to make the world more just. Certain forces in the world seek monoculturalism, but the future lies in the development of multiculturalism. The wealth of many countries, especially the European states and the USA, were largely dependent on the injustice of the past world order and on colonialism and slavery.”

Putin explained that the technological advantages acquired by part of humanity at a certain moment were unfairly used in order to consolidate hegemony, and this attempt continues to this day, and this is the essence of the events taking place today.

Putin stressed that one of the main reasons for the current tensions in the world is the claim of  cultural uniqueness by some powers and their contempt for other peoples’ customs and spiritual values.

“We are convinced that the future lies in the free, multifaceted and diverse development of cultures,” pointing out that the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum also aims to become part of this dialogue,” he pointed out.

He went on to say that the world was shocked by the news of the terrorists’ destruction of antiquities in the Syrian archaeological city of Palmyra, including the Arch of Triumph, which is considered a symbol of humanity.

Putin said: “I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the city in which we are currently present is sometimes called “Northern Palmyra,” and this city, St. Petersburg, was targeted by the Nazi invaders who wanted to destroy it.”

He added “In 2016, after the liberation of the Syrian city of Palmyra, our specialists from the Institute for the History of Material Culture, together with their Syrian colleagues, began urgent measures to save the monument and created a project for its restoration, which they will begin implementing soon,” pointing out that Moscow is ready to transfer the experience of restoring the ruins of Palmyra to other sites in the Middle East.

On the sidelines of the forum, the Syrian Minister of Culture signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between Al-Assad National Library and the Margarita Rudomino All-Russia State Library for Foreign Literature.

Also, Director General of Antiquities and Museums Muhammad Nazir Awad gave a presentation on the situation of Syrian museums during the terrorist war on Syria.

Hamda Mustafa