Minsk oblast, 10 July. The National Children's Center "Zubrenok" hosted the 10th International Cultural and Educational Forum "Children of the Commonwealth". It united young representatives of the CIS countries in their quest for mutual understanding, exchange of experience and study of Belarusian culture.

The forum’s key topic was Republic Day. The forum’s events allowed people to sense the living heritage of the country. The participants visited the "Apothecary Garden", enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the ethno-cultural complex "Nanosy Otdykh" and discovered the natural splendor of the National Park "Narochansky". The eventful day ended with a concert reflecting the beauty of nature, language, folk traditions and the modern image of the country.

One of the brightest events was an informal meeting of young people with representatives of the authorities and the scientific community of Belarus. Participants were able to directly ask questions to the Minister of Education, the Minister of Sports and Tourism, the Minister of Health and the Chairman of the National Academy of Sciences.

Education Minister Andrei Ivanets emphasized the importance of such interactions:

"No doubt such informal meetings with young people from the CIS countries are very important because guys want to communicate with government officials and with representatives of various countries. The fact that they will have a large cultural learning program today will allow them to learn about Belarusian life, our traditions and customs. I think that the participants will be interested in a wide variety of issues. After all, today we see great interest in young people from the CIS countries studying at our universities, and, of course, we provide all the opportunities here. All young people from the CIS countries can enter any university in our country through a general competition together with young people from Belarus. For those who are part of the Eurasian Union, there are even more solid benefits. Therefore, everyone is very welcome. I am sure that our common history and culture will be a good foundation for further friendship between young people." –said Andrei Ivanets.