Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Aug. 23 /Trend D.Azizov /
UNESCO delegation led by Director-General Irina Bokova will arrive in Uzbekistan on August 24, a report of the press service of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
According to the report, the visit's program includes a meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
Bilateral talks with top-level members of the government, including the leadership of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, familiarization with the activities of a number of educational and research institutions of the country are planned to be held, a report of the Foreign Ministry's press service said.
The UNESCO delegation will attend the opening ceremony of the IX International Music Festival Sharq taronalari in Samarkand and the work of scientific-practical conference "Musical traditions of the East, in the context of contemporary culture", held during the festival.
Festival Sharq taronalari is held in Uzbekistan every two years under the patronage of President Islam Karimov.
The main purpose of the festival, which is included into UNESCO's program of cultural events, is the preservation of the traditions of national music and song art of world peoples, unite countries through art on the background of the 'Pearl of the East', one of the world's oldest cities - Samarkand.
The festival promotes to the expansion of international creative ties, strengthening cultural and spiritual cooperation and interpenetration of cultures.
The first festival Sharq taronalari was held in 1997. It was attended by music bands and artists from 31 countries. The VIII festival in 2011 was the largest by scale: it was attended by teams from more than 50 countries.