On July 15, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The State Secretary of the Union State, Grigory Rapota, considers the International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" a significant cultural event not only for Belarusians but also for Russians. He expressed this viewpoint in response to a question from a BELTA correspondent. "The 'Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk' festival is important not only for the residents of the Vitebsk region, Belarus, but also for the residents of the neighboring regions of Russia. They anticipate it, and specifically take holidays to come to Vitebsk," he said. Sharing his impressions of the current XXI International Festival of Arts, Grigory Rapota noted that the event was a success. "This is my first time at the festival, although I have always watched it on television and perceived it as a landmark event. But it's better to see it with your own eyes once. The festival makes a wonderful impression in terms of its organisation level and scale. It is rightly called a celebration not only for Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians, but for everyone who has come here," he believes. Grigory Rapota does not rule out that the festival's funding from the Union State's share may increase. "However, this decision depends on the finance ministries of Belarus and Russia," he said. -0-

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