Russia has no official notification of cancelled cultural exchanges with Poland - diplomat
MOSCOW. July 24 (Interfax) - The Polish authorities have not so far notified Moscow officially of their decision not to hold the cultural exchanges between Poland and Russia, set for 2015, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich has said.
"So far, Moscow has not received any official information from the Republic of Poland concerning the cancellation of the cultural exchanges scheduled for 2015," he said in a commentary published on the Foreign Ministry's website in response to a question from Interfax.
"The Year of Russia and Poland and the Year of Poland in Russia was meant to become a major joint event aimed at further enhancing mutual understanding between the Russian and Polish people and bringing them even close. It was supposed to become a landmark event that would have helped bring bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level and crush the existing stereotypes," Lukashevich said.
"If the Polish authorities have already made their negative choice concerning this matter, any further comments will not be needed," the Russian diplomat said.
Moscow, however, continues to attach great importance to bolstering cultural and humanitarian ties with Warsaw and does not plan to cancel any traditional festivals, exhibitions and other projects in Poland that have always drawn great interest from Polish citizens, he said.