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Colombians deeply interested in Russian culture, says ambassador

The envoy noted that Moscow and Bogota celebrated the 85th anniversary of their ties on June 25

BOGOTA, June 30. /TASS/. Events focusing on Russian culture and arts are very popular among Colombians, Russian Ambassador to Colombia Sergey Koshkin told TASS on Monday.

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""In Colombia, there is a genuine interest in Russian culture and the arts, and the theme-based exhibits and concerts draw large crowds. Russian cinematography is popular, too. The development of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Colombia is greatly influenced by the events at the prestigious world-famous capital theater Teatro Mayor," the envoy said, noting that Yuri Bashmet, Anna Netrebko, and Dmitry Hvorostovsky performed at that venue.

The ambassador noted that at the beginning of this year, Valery Gergiev, together with the Mariinsky Theater orchestra as well as pianist Dmitry Masleev performed in Bogota, while the Imperial Russian Ballet Company toured with the Swan Lake ballet. "This year, other tours were planned as well but due to the pandemic, unfortunately, they have been postponed. Right now, it is too early to talk about the actual tour dates of Russian performers in Colombia, although we hope that the situation stabilizes soon and the Colombian audience will again enjoy the best examples of our culture," the diplomat stressed.

The envoy also noted that Moscow and Bogota celebrated the 85th anniversary of their ties on June 25 and "have always found common ground, and opportunities to strengthen and deepen their friendship." "The level of stability and pragmatism of the bilateral relations achieved over this time period allows us to optimistically view the future development both in near future, and, hopefully, in the long run," he emphasized.

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