TONINO GUERRA: "ARMENIA AND ITALY ARE RICH IN CULTURAL HERITAGE"

Noyan Tapan
Oct 17 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Tonino Guerra together with his
wife Lora Guerra, who is a translator, has arrived in Armenia on the
occasion of holding cultural days in Yerevan titled "Tonino Guerra
and his friends". The world-known scenario writer, writer and painter
was received by Serge Sargsian, the Prime Minister of the Republic of
Armenia. Welcoming the world-known artist, he thanked Tonino Guerra
for his attitude towards Armenia, the Armenian people and culture.

According to Tonino Guerra, Armenia and Italy have much in common
as they are poor in natural resources, however, rich in their past
and cultural heritage. The artist stressed that it is necessary to
introduce all this to the world in a decent way. Touching upon the
"Golden Apricot" film festival, he attached importance to the role
of such international events in making their own country and people
more known in the world.

Lora Guerra, the Head of the "Tonino Guerra" cultural fund, metioned
that it is already two years since the Armenian office of that
institution has been operating in Yerevan, the main goal of which
is to strengthen spiritual-cultural and public relations between the
two countries and peoples, as well as to create an Armenian-Italian
cultural center through joint programs. He introduced some of the
programs including the holding of cultural events, the building of a
fountain in Yerevan according to the design of Tonino Guerra, which,
in the words of the great artist, should bear the symbolic name
"A way to history and culture".

The RA Prime Minister promised to support the implementation of that
program, which, according to him, can serve a good present to the
2790th anniversary of Yerevan to be celebrated next year.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Information
and Public Relations Department of the RA Government, Hasmik Poghosian,
the RA Minister of Culture, Yervand Zakharian, the Mayor of Yerevan,
Rustam Khandamov, a film producer, scenario writer and painter,
and Armen Mazmanian, the Head of the program of the cultural days,
also took part in the meeting.