RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan today received the delegation of the most significant cultural fund of the state of Qatar, “Katara,” headed by the general director of the fund, Khaled Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti.
Artur Martirosyan, deputy minister of ESCS, was also present at the meeting.
The “Katara” delegation arrived in Armenia at the invitation of Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the RA Prime Minister and the executive director of the “My Step” charitable foundation.
The minister welcomed the “Katara” delegation and highlighted the opportunities for cooperation between the two states in the fields of culture and other areas of coordination of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
In the context of cooperation in the field of culture, the parties, in particular, discussed the establishment of an Armenian center in the “Katara” cultural foundation. Zhanna Andreasyan welcomed this idea and emphasized that the multicultural concept of the “Katara” foundation is precious, and being a part of it aligns with the state policy of culture popularization.
“It is essential to have a platform to get acquainted with different cultures, which can become a good basis for cooperation in the direction of common values and a common vision of the two states in the field of culture,” said the minister of ESCS.
General Director of “Katara” Khaled Ibrahim Al-Sulait thanked for the hospitality. He admitted that it was a great honor for him to be in Armenia and discuss the vast potential of cooperation. Referring to the activities of “Katara,” he noted that the foundation’s vision is to be a world-leading platform for multicultural activities. Khaled Ibrahim Al-Sulait shared his impressions of his visit to the Matenadaran of ancient manuscripts named after M. Mashtots. The “Katara” delegation toured the permanent and temporary exhibition halls in Matenadaran and got acquainted with the main exhibited and newly acquired manuscripts. Khaled Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti particularly emphasized the study of the collection of manuscripts in other languages, including the Arabic script, kept in the Matenadaran, the number of which reaches 3000.
The delegation also viewed the solo exhibition of the works of the Greek-Armenian artist Yetuart Sagayan, which opened in the National Gallery of Armenia.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed the prospects of cooperation in modern art, literature, book publishing, and literary translation. In this context, the minister of ESCS proposed considering the possibility of interaction with the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Yerevan State University, particularly regarding translations, exchange of experience, and implementation of internship programs.
The parties also discussed the possibility of providing scholarships for Armenian students at Qatar University and organizing training for culture management employees through “Katara.”
