Turkmenistan’s Dashoguz hosted the grand opening ceremony of the Friendship of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan Peoples Festival, the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan reports.

The festival is aimed at further strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and good neighborliness.

On the occasion of the holiday, the streets of the city are decorated with bright banners depicting the brotherhood of the two peoples. Various articles about cooperation are published in the Turkmen media. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s congratulatory message to the participants of the festival was read out by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ozodbek Nazarbekov. The greeting of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the participants of the festival was read out by the Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan Atageldi Shamuradov. The participants of the event enthusiastically welcomed the congratulations of the heads of the two states.

A joint concert program of masters of arts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan was presented. Uzbek and Turkmen songs, ghazals and poems by the great poets and thinkers of the two peoples – Alisher Navoi and Makhtumkuli were played, national dances were performed.

An exhibition of products of folk craftsmen was presented as part of the festival. The participants learned about the special craft schools of the two fraternal countries.

The program of the festival is extensive. It also includes meetings of poets and writers of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, representatives of the film industry, and film screenings.

Nazokat Usmanova, UzA