Rustem Khamitov has met with leadership of International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF)

UFA, 20 December 2016. /Bashinform News Agency, Alexander Smirnov/. On December 19, the Head of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov met with the President of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF) Philip Bossan and vice-president of CIOFF for Culture Alejandro Camacho González as well as the President of the Russian national section of CIOFF, director of the State Russian House of Folk Arts Tamara Purtova.

During the meeting they discussed issues of preparation for the World Folkloriad 2020 in Bashkiria.

“Of course, we would like to thank you again for choosing Ufa as a venue for Folkloriad 2020. We are actively preparing, and we know that we will cope with this task at the highest level,” said Rustem Khamitov. “We have actually started to prepare to the Folkloriad according to an action plan. We know where to get funds, how to organize this work. We would like to make the Folkloriad 2020 memorable both to organizers and participants with its high level of carrying out.”

The Head of Bashkortostan said that our republic took the first place in the Russian Federation in number of folk ensembles. The region has all necessary infrastructure to host adequately any international event.

Philip Bossan said that the CIOFF held annually about 350 festivals around the world.

“Our goal is to convince the greatest possible number of countries to come here and take part in the Folkloriad. We know that, in cultural terms, you are a very wealthy republic. You have a rich cultural heritage. I believe that such event will allow you to promote the image of the Republic of Bashkortostan in the international arena”, the CIOFF President. “What we have seen here in a few days, is really great. By 2020, we will select the best teams from around the world which will come to Bashkortostan to participate in the Folkloriad. In the summer of 2017, we again will come here to the "Berҙәmlek - Commonwealth" Festival.”

The International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF) operates since 1970, since 2012 it is an official partner of UNESCO.

The World Folkloriad is a part of the CIOFF official events. Traditionally, it is attended by about three thousand actors from 60-80 countries.

The Folkloriad first was held in 1996 in the Netherlands, the second time - in 2000 in Japan. Hungary became the third venue of the Folkloriad. In 2012, South Korea successfully hosted the Fourth World Folkloriad CIOFF. Mexico became the country of the World Folkloriad 2016.