The closing ceremony of the International Dance and Folklore Festival "Avaza - land of friendship" with the presentation of diplomas to participants and a final concert of creative groups from five countries will take place on June 6 in the water park of the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports.

The three-day international forum, organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan jointly with the Balkan velayat hyakimlik, brought together dance groups from Turkmenistan, Iran, India, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The event was attended by members of the government, representatives of international organizations, cultural figures, performers on national musical instruments, scientists and students of specialized universities.

At the grand opening of the festival, a welcoming address by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov was read out, in which the head of state emphasized the special role of dance and folklore art in strengthening peace, friendship and brotherhood between peoples. "The main goal of the international festival is the development and further expansion of cooperation in the field of culture," the message noted.

Within the framework of the forum, an international symposium “Küştdepdi – parahatçylyk waspçysy” dedicated to the study of folklore and folk dance traditions was held in the conference hall of the “Daýanç” health center. Participants discussed the significance of the traditional Turkmen art of singing and dancing “kushtdepdi”, included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017.

During the three days of the festival, creative meetings, choreography master classes, and evening concerts of folklore and ethnographic ensembles took place. A cultural program with introductory tours of the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone and boat trips was organized for foreign guests.