On October 20, the VI All-Arabian Meeting of Foreign Alumni of Russian (Soviet) Higher Educational Institutions opened in the Syrian capital Damascus. The program for the meeting included a visit of Alexander Sarymov, Deputy Head of the Russian Centre of International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation with Foreign Countries (Roszarubezhcenter) to the Lebanese town Baalbek and the Lebanese-Russian Cultural Center established this year under the initiative of Lebanese alumni. The initiative was supported by the Russian Center of Science and Culture (Beirut).
During his visit to the Lebanese-Russian Cultural Center (Baalbek), Alexander Sarymov met the president of the Lebanese NGO “Society of the Future Independent Lebanon” Naji Al-Attar, alumni of Russian universities, and Russian women permanently residing in Baalbek and their children. Alexander Sarymov also met local officials and representatives of public organizations of Baalbek, which is the largest city in the Bekaa region. The event’s program also included a press conference for the local mass media. Alexander Sarymov also became familiar with the activities of the major interest groups and studios of the Lebanese-Russian Cultural Center.
The Lebanese-Russian Cultural Centre in Baalbek was founded by the Lebanese Non-Governmental Society of the Future Independent Lebanon, the skeleton staff of which consists of graduates at Russian institutions of higher education (graduates in this region of the country total more than 1,200 people). Its priority goal is to open courses on the Russian language for the Lebanese. Besides, they plan to open a Russian school for children of cross marriages (there are about 240 Russian women who reside permanently in the Beqaa Valley).
One of the main priorities of the Lebanese-Russian Cultural Centre in Baalbek is the signing of the Protocol of Intent on Cooperation Between the Society of the Future Independent Lebanon and the Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RSSC) in Beirut. Besides, they plan to open an affiliate of the RSSC on the basis of the Lebanese-Russian Cultural Centre.
Mansur Yunusovich Khasanov
Representative of Roszarubezhcenter in Lebanon
