Ministers of education and science of Russia and Ukraine agreed to actively develop humanitarian cooperation of the two countries

       On April, 7, 2010, in Moscow under the chairmanship of the Minister of education and science of the Russian Federation Andrei Fursenko and the Minister of education and science of Ukraine Dmitry Tabachnik the third meeting of the Subcommittee on questions of humanitarian cooperation of Russian-Ukrainian interstate commission.

       "In spite of the break in commission's meetings, the work on many questions of development of humanitarian cooperation of Russia and Ukraine continued", - marked the Minister A.Fursenko. "In the nearest time we will be able to outline further steps of our cooperation, including in the field of integration of education and science of the two states. I think that it is expected in both countries", - underlined the Russian Minister.

       "For the new meeting of the Subcommittee we have brought a large and positive agenda of suggestions, connected with concrete questions of developing the cooperation, which the universities of the two countries, workers of school education of Russia and Ukraine, of culture, of public health are waiting for", - marked D.Tabachnik.

       At the meeting of the Subcommittee the issues of development of cooperation and coordination of fulfilling joint Russian-Ukrainian measures on preparing specialists for national economics of the two countries, on supporting study of the Russian language and literature in Ukraine and the Ukrainian language and literature in the Russian Federation, of conducting actions, dedicated to the anniversary of the Victory and days of science and education of the two countries in Russia and Ukraine in 2010, of forming programs of cooperation in the sphere of culture, of organizing a number of actions in the field of public health were discussed.

       Touching on the questions of language interaction, Dmitry Tabachnik marked: "If there is a wish of the citizens of Ukraine to teach their children in Russian, we should go to meet them. In the Russian position it was pleasantly to hear that if there is a wish of the citizens of Russia to teach their children in Ukrainian, the Russian side will support it, too".

       "Regardless of the fact what we discuss - teaching the languages, opening of universities' branches, educational and cultural exchanges and so on, - the decisions should be based on the principles of equality and partnership. At this when discussing any questions of humanitarian cooperation we will start from the interests of concrete people, citizens of our countries", - marked Andrei Fursenko on the results of the talks.

       The sides agreed to prepare a joint document, in which the most significant actions in humanitarian sphere in the nearest year will be reflected.

       The next meeting of the Subcommittee on questions of humanitarian cooperation of the Russian-Ukrainian interstate commission is planned to be conducted in the second half of this year.

       In the structure of the Russian-Ukrainian interstate commission the Committee on questions of economic cooperation, the Subcommittee on security questions, the Subcommittee on international cooperation, the Subcommittee on questions of humanitarian cooperation and the Sub-commission on questions of the Russia's Black Sea Navy and its stay on the territory of Ukraine are included.

       For examination and approval at the meetings of the Subcommittee on questions of humanitarian cooperation the projects of decisions of questions which touch on the state and activating of the Russian-Ukrainian cooperation in the field of science and education, culture and public health are submitted.