Casablanca conf stresses importance of promoting Russian culture.

CASABLANCA (Itar-Tass) - Further promotion of the Russian
language and culture in the Middle East and Africa is necessary and
extremely important, say participants in a regional conference of Russian
compatriots residing in the Middle East and Africa.
The forum that took place in Morocco's largest city of Casablanca on
Tuesday brought together representatives of Russia's Foreign Ministry, the
Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots
Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation
(Rossotrudnichestvo), the Institute for African Studies of the Russian
Academy of Sciences and heads of associations of Russian compatriots in
Arab and African countries.
"Promotion of the Russian language and culture abroad is one of the
country's most significant policies," the deputy head of the Foreign
Ministry's department for relations with compatriots, Alexander Safronov,
told Itar-Tass. "There are different aspects - first, age-old close
relations with countries of the Middle East and Africa established in the
Soviet era that Russia is trying to restore and facilitate. Second, our
duty is to help compatriots to keep ethnic and cultural identity and
contacts with historical homeland."
"We take efforts for our compatriots not only to become integrated
into the society of countries of their residence, but also maintained
relations with Russia and served as guides for Russia's influence in the
Middle East and Africa," the diplomat said.
Safronov expressed confidence that Morocco is "Russia's traditional
partner."
Russia's ambassador to Morocco, Boris Bolotin, underlined that "the
conference of compatriots in Casablanca provides a good opportunity for
asking Moscow questions and putting forward proposals and initiatives."
"There are many organizations of Russian compatriots in Morocco and
this is good, as we broke the monotony and this helps to develop
creativity and initiative-based approaches," he said.
"Russia highly appreciates what Russian compatriots are doing to
support and promote Russian language, culture and traditions, develop
relations of friendship and cooperation with foreign countries. This work
is in high demand and we very much rely on you," Bolotin said.
"Today support for such a phenomenon as Russian world and its integral
parts is one of the most important directions of Russian diplomacy in the
Middle East and Africa," a representative of Moscow House of Compatriots,
Nikolai Yakhontov, told Itar-Tass.
"Countries of the Middle East and Africa have stable diasporas of our
compatriots who in many respects are representatives of our country. And
if we provide every possible support for them, this will be the most
favourable factor," he said.