Speech at inauguration of "Bridge of Friendship" concert

August 26, 2006

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

On behalf of the India Club, the organizers of this event, I extend a warm welcome to you to this evening's concert of dance and music.

This is the fourth year that the India Club is organizing this concert, bringing artists of India and Ukraine together in the glorious summer of Ukraine to celebrate the anniversary of Independence of the two countries. Not surprisingly, the Ukraine-India Independence day concert has become quite popular. Hopefully, it would become a regular event on the cultural calendar of Kyiv - a joyful annual celebration of the friendly relations between our two countries.

In the past this concert used to be held outdoors. The advantage of that, of course, was that it enabled everyone to share in the entertainment. The downside was that the organizers remained on tenterhooks about the weather until the very end. So, this year they decided to have it indoors, in this Zhovtnevyi Palats auditorium. I do hope that as a result of this format change the concert would not lose its charm, and that, as before, the public would continue to enjoy this unique experience.

Indians and Ukrainians both share a passion for dance and music. Classical dance, in particular, is an exquisite artistic experience. Folk dances, too, have a special appeal, both in India and in Ukraine. Yet another genre that is popular in the two countries is what Bollywood has spun off. Like Indian classical dance, its appeal extends far beyond India's national boundaries. This evening you will get a chance to enjoy all this - and more. You will get a chance to hear two very popular singers of India and Ukraine.

Cultural ties between India and Ukraine are an important part of our larger relations. There are interesting similarities between our countries sprinkled across the cultural spectrum. There is some evidence pointing to the possibility that people from this part of the world migrated to India some millennia ago. If that is true it might explain the sense of kinship between people of India and Ukraine, despite the geographical distance that separates the two countries.

So, without further ado, let the show begin.