From Kaliningrad to Yekaterinburg: International Friendship Clubs Launched in Northwestern and Ural Federal Districts
16 regions of Russia opened International Friendship Clubs. The flagship project of the WYF Directorate is aimed at building long-term ties between Russian and foreign youth.
Young people from all regions of the Ural Federal District joined the work on strengthening cooperation between foreign countries and Russian regions – the Clubs were opened in the Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Kurgan, Chelyabinsk regions and Yamal-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Areas. The project was also launched in the Northwestern Federal District – in the Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Pskov, Leningrad, Novgorod, Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions, Komi Republic and Republic of Karelia, as well as in St. Petersburg. In the near future, the International Friendship Club will be launched in the Nenets Autonomous Area.
"International Friendship Clubs are not only a community of young people from across the world with active civic engagement, and a platform for project implementation in the field of youth policy at the international level, but also a space where young people from different countries can discuss issues of their interest, exchange ideas and simply build friendships. 73 regions of Russia and 120 countries have already joined the project, and by the end of December the Clubs will be opened in all regions of our country. We see how Russian and foreign youth are interested in this programme, which once again confirms that young people want to communicate, create joint projects and build a common future," said Daniil Bisslinger, Advisor on International Cooperation to the Head of Rosmolodezh, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
Young people from the Ural Federal District will be interacting with representatives of 13 countries – Belgium, Germany, Poland, China, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Zambia, Sudan, Namibia, South Africa, Argentina, Czech Republic. At the same time, the active and talented youth from the Northwestern Federal District will create friendly ties with leaders of 30 countries, including the USA, France, Malta, Monaco, Luxembourg, Vietnam, Switzerland, India, Armenia, UAE, Qatar, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Cabo Verde, Cyprus, Gabon, Gambia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Djibouti, Niger, Benin, Rwanda.
The interest of foreign youth towards participating in the International Friendship Clubs and studying in Russia has also been pointed out by Deputy Head of Main Department of Youth Policy of the Chelyabinsk region Olga Galyamova.
“Foreign students more and more frequently choose universities in the South Urals to get higher education. Young people are interested in the fields of IT, construction, international relations and other. We are really happy that these days platforms, which will create conditions for communication and self-fulfillment of youth from different countries, are being opened in Chelyabinsk as well as in other regions of our vast country. As part of the International Friendship Clubs, young people can discuss global issues, create projects and exchange experience,” Olga Galyamova noted during the opening ceremony.
The leader of the International Friendship Club in the Chelyabinsk region is Aboubakar Yaro, a representative of Cote d'Ivoire, specialist in working with foreign students at South Ural State University and teacher of French at Chelyabinsk State University.
"More than 10,000 foreign students from 60 countries are studying at universities in the Chelyabinsk region. And they all need a place where they can get to know one another, communicate, learn to find approaches to different people. I believe that through dialogue and mutual respect we can achieve lasting peace,” the young man emphasized.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the International Youth Festival, and in between, international themed gatherings and events will be held under the auspices of the WYF. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.