VITEBSK, 16 July (BelTA) – Our closer integration and cooperation in the Union State is preconditioned upon common history, culture and values. Our friendship and partnership have been forged over the centuries, Chairman of the Russian Union of Youth Pavel Krasnorutsky told BelTA before a conference of the Russian-Belarusian Youth Union.
“Our task now is to protect this valuable heritage and build on it. It's more than just collaboration. It's friendship and even kinship. It is when you can always count on support. At the level of public organizations, we feel this unity and commonality of values very well. This does not require any state regulation. This is our resource, our heritage. Relying on this solid basis we can solve any problems, including those in the field of state youth policy of the two countries," Pavel Krasnorutsky emphasized.
He added that the Russia-Belarus Youth Union follows the founding principles of the Union State. “We retain the autonomy of the two largest youth organizations in Russia and Belarus and at the same time create conditions for personal growth and self-fulfillment of our youth using resources, expertise and knowledge and capabilities of both sides. There are quite understandable historical and cultural grounds for our partnership. This cooperation has huge potential that should be utilized to benefit the youth of the two countries. Now we have embarked on upgrading joint work to stay current with the needs of today's youth, as well as the tasks of the state youth policy,” the chairman of the union noted.
The report-and-election conference “Youth for the Union State” of the Russia-Belarus Youth Union international union of public associations is hosted by the Vitebsk branch of Beltelecom during the Youth Days held on the sidelines of the 30th edition of the International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk.
The event has brought together around 40 people: delegates to the conference – representatives of the Russian Youth Union, the BRSM, including the National Students' Collegium and the Council of Working Youth Leaders of Minsk, the Belarusian Committee of Youth Organizations, the Youth Parliament at the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, representatives of the Union State Standing Committee, members of the House of Representatives of Belarus and the Russian State Duma. State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Dmitry Mezentsev has been invited to the event as a guest of honor.
The delegates are set to discuss activities of the Executive Committee, election of its members and co-chairpersons, and other matters. Plans are also in place to outline the main areas that will be in focus of activities of the first youth organization of the Union State.
Established in May 2000, the Belarusian-Russian Youth Union operates in the territory of the two brotherly countries. This is a union between the Russian Youth Union and the Belarusian BRSM Youth Union. The Belarusian-Russian Youth Union is meant to advance the Belarusian-Russian youth cooperation. The union launched and runs such projects as the “Russian Winter” and “Youth for the Union State” festivals, the “Be-La-Rus” camp, and the beauty pageant Students Queen (previously Spring Queen).
