MOSCOW, February 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Eleven Russian centers of science and culture will be opened abroad within three years, head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Konstantin Kosachev said.
“Nine centers of this type will be opened in the CIS member-states,” he said in an interview with the Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily published on Friday. “This is our political and geographical priority.”
“Russian centers of science and culture abroad cooperate with associations of our compatriots, friendship societies, unions of graduates, the Russian-speaking media, pro-Russian integration non-governmental organizations that need information support, partners and contacts,” Kosachev said, adding that Rossotrudnichestvo had been expanding a network of its centers in compliance with the presidential decree of May 7, 2012.
He recalled that Russian language courses had been opened on the basis of Russian centers of science and culture. “Finally, our every centre becomes adjusted to the needs of that country, where it is operating.”
“The opening of a centre is important in itself. This is a demonstration of the flag, but of course, we will get feedback not at once, sometimes it takes several years,” Kosachev said.
On Thursday, Rossotrudnichestvo unveiled its 61st Russian centre of science and culture abroad - in Turkey’s capital Ankara. Among first visitors of the centre was speaker of the State Duma, lower house of Russian parliament, Sergei Naryshkin.