India and Belarus today signed a Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for a "deeper and closer" collaboration between the two countries.
Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch and her Belarus' counterpart Barys signed the 3-year CEP, which would be operational from 2014 till 2016.
"The CEP would strengthen bilateral cultural relations between India and Belarus and enable mutual exchange of cultural troops, theatre groups and exhibitions from art museums of both countries," Katoch said after signing of CEP in Belarus capital Minsk.
"The programme envisages deeper and closer collaboration in various areas of cultural engagement between our two countries and shall be operational from 2014-16," she said.
It also provides for exchange of research, documentation and research publications through national archives, Archaeological Survey of India and national libraries.
Under the aegis of this agreement, institutional collaborations between the national library of Belarus and the national library in Kolkata could be developed, she said.
The CEP would enable collaboration in international music, dance and folk festivals and in exchanging audio and video materials, photographs, slides, publications in the field of performing arts.
It seeks to establish direct links and exchanges between cultural establishment, artistic institutions, artistic unions and artists.
"I also envisage mutual exchange of visits of journalists and mass media experts in both countries," the Minister said.
