15 July, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia does not rule out the possibility of increasing the prize fund of the international pop song performers' contest "Vitebsk". This was announced today at a press conference dedicated to the Union State Day at the international arts festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" by Nikolai Samoseiko, a member of the commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, and a deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. Every year, the level of performers' skills of the contestants is growing, the parliamentarian noted. "I am confident that in the future, we will find an opportunity, in addition to the prizes traditionally awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly, to expand the prize fund of the contest," he said. The Parliamentary Assembly of Belarus and Russia is not standing aside from such a significant event as the international arts festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk". In 2007, parliamentarians established two prizes each for participants of the international pop song performers' contest and the children's music contest "Vitebsk". These prizes are awarded annually to contestants from Belarus and Russia. The prize fund of the "Vitebsk" pop song performers' contest currently amounts to $33,000, of which $15,000 is awarded to the Grand Prix winner. -0-

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