RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan received the delegation of the largest “Katara” cultural foundation of the State of Qatar headed by General Manager Khaled Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti.
ESCS Deputy Minister Arthur Martirosyan also attended the meeting.
The “Katara” delegation arrived in Armenia at the invitation of the RA Prime Minister’s wife, the Executive Director of the “My Step” Charitable Foundation Anna Hakobyan.
The Minister welcomed the “Katara” delegation, emphasizing the significance of opportunities for cooperation between the two states in the field of culture and other areas of coordination of the ESCS Ministry.
Within the framework of cultural collaboration, the parties specifically discussed the establishment of an Armenian centre at the “Katara” Cultural Foundation. Zhanna Andreasyan welcomed this idea and emphasized that the multicultural concept of the “Katara” Foundation is precious, and becoming a part of it is in tune with the state policy of popularization of culture.
“Having a platform for exploring diverse cultures is essential for fostering cooperation and aligning on shared ideals and vision between the two states,” noted the ESCS Minister.
“Katara” General Manager Khaled Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti thanked for the hospitality and acknowledged that it is a great honor for him to be in Armenia and discuss the wide potential of cooperation. In reference to the activities of “Katara”, he noted that the foundation's vision is to become the world's leading platform for multicultural activities. Khaled Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti shared his impressions of visiting the M. Mashtots Matenadaran of Ancient Manuscripts. The “Katara” delegation toured the permanent and temporary exhibition halls at Matenadaran, exploring the main displayed and recently acquired manuscripts. Khaled Ibrahim Al-Suleiti highlighted the significance of studying the collection of manuscripts in other languages, including Arabic, stored in the Matenadaran, the number of which reaches 3000.
During the meeting, the parties also considered potential cooperation in contemporary art, literature, book publishing, and literary translation. In this respect, the ESCS Minister suggested considering the possibility of collaboration with the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Yerevan State University, in particular, regarding translations, experience exchange and implementation of internship programs.
The sides also touched upon the possibilities of providing scholarships to Armenian students at Qatar University, as well as the organization of trainings by “Katara” for employees of the cultural management sector.