Kotor and Shanghai launch cooperation programs

Memorandum Signed Between KotorArt and China Shanghai International Arts Festival

In Kotor, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between two significant festivals—KotorArt and the China Shanghai International Arts Festival—in the presence of the Mayor of Kotor, Mr. Vladimir Jokić, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, Ms. Liu Duo, and the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Montenegro, H.E. Fan Kun. The signatories were the directors of the two festivals, Mr. Ratimir Martinović and Mr. Li Ming.

The China Shanghai International Arts Festival, like KotorArt, is being held for the 23rd time this year and is the only national arts festival in China. The festival showcases some of the most prestigious names in the arts, taking place annually in October and November at various locations throughout Shanghai, China’s most populous city. With over 24 million residents, Shanghai is a cosmopolitan metropolis, serving as both a cultural and economic center of China and a global hub for artists, creative professionals, and producers.

Mr. Vladimir Jokić, along with officials from the Shanghai delegation, including Deputy Director of the Shanghai City Industry Development Department, Shi Jiang, and representative of the Foreign Affairs Office, Huang Zhihua, discussed opportunities for collaboration. The discussion was attended by the President of the Kotor Municipal Assembly, Maja Mršulja, the Secretary of the Secretariat for Culture, Sports and Social Activities, Tatjana Kriještorac, the Director of the Tourist Organization of Kotor Municipality, Jovan Ristić, and Marina Bjelja, Chief Administrator of Kotor Municipality.

Mayor Jokić introduced the delegates to Kotor’s rich history and cultural heritage, emphasizing the desire for cooperation in areas such as tourism, digital technologies, IT, healthcare, and education, as well as continuing the already initiated cooperation between the two cities in arts and culture.

The signed memorandum envisions close cooperation between the two festivals through the exchange of professionals in the performing arts, the exchange of artistic programs, and joint artistic productions. Martinović, recalling the saying “dip your finger in the sea, and you are connected to the whole world,” concluded that “Kotor represents a window to the world for all of Montenegro. In this sense, cooperation with close artistic initiatives from the region, the European Union, China, or the United States is more than significant, proving Kotor’s and Montenegro’s belonging to the wider world.” He further expressed his belief that not only in culture and the arts but also in tourism, economic development, and higher education, we can and must learn from each other.

KotorArt is also a signatory to the Shanghai Consensus, thereby becoming part of the Silk Road initiative, an international festival network initiated in China, which brings together some of the world’s largest festivals from Europe, the USA, Australia, and Malaysia.