VILNIUS, 9 August (BelTA) – The first international music and sports festival, Belarusian Roots, opened in Lithuania’s Palanga on 9 August, BelTA has learnt. The organizer of the festival, the Belarusian Center of Tourism and Recreation in Lithuania, selected ten young performers from Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. Such festivals are a good opportunity to display the Belarusian art, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Lithuania Vladimir Drazhin told BelTA. “For young performers the Belarusian Roots festival in Palanga is a perfect place for professional self-fulfillment, developing artistic and friendly relations with the Lithuanian singers,” the Ambassador said. I hope that the first experience will be continued and that the Palanga summer stage will become a permanent platform for the Belarusian-Lithuania song contest. We also hope that well-known artists of the two countries will join in the project, Vladimir Drazhin said. “Of course, there would be many more Belarusians at the Lithuania resort but for the visa requirements. I hope that when the two countries sign an agreement on relaxed border crossing rules, there would be dozens of tourists more both in Belarus and Lithuania,” Vladimir Drazhin said. According to the head of the Belarusian Center of Tourism and Recreation in Lithuania, Valentina Shimukonis, the main goal of the Belarusian Roots is to get the Lithuanians and residents of other EU countries familiar with the Belarusian culture, to establish cultural links between Lithuania and Belarus, to create a positive image of Belarus in the international arena. The organizers plan to make the international festival an annual event. The visa support was provided by the Embassy of Lithuania in Belarus.

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