TSAKHKADZOR, AUGUST 22, NOYAN TAPAN. "Dialog of Cultures" 3rd annual youth festival opened in Tsakhkadzor and will last until August 27. Cultures, rituals and cuisine of various nations will be presented at the festival. The RA deputy minister of sport and youth issues Arthur Poghosian stated that the purpose of the festival is to display cultures of various peoples and promote the cooperation of young people in this process. Among participants are young people from France, Egypt, Romania, Poland, China, Lithuania, Greece, India, Syria, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Artsakh and Armenia, as well as representatives of Armenia's Assyrian and Yezid communities. In the words of A. Poghosian, representatives of about 10 countries, including Turkey, Nepal, Kyrghyzstan, Nigeria refused to take part in the festival due to the events in South Ossetia. In the opinion of executive director of "All-Armenian Youth International Center" Foundation Armen Sinanian, "it is evident from the fact that so many countries expressed a desire to participate in the festival that "Dilaog of Cultures" festival has the right to live." The festival was organized on the initiative of the RA ministry of sport and youth issues, the Center for Organization of Youth Events, the International Center of Intercultural Studies, Training and Dialog and the "All-Armenian Youth International Center" Foundation. 18 million drams (about 60 thousand USD) was allocated from the RA state budget for holding the event.

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