A large-scale Russian-Belarusian forum "Bridges of Friendship" took place at Pskov State University. The event brought together 600 participants, including representatives from higher education institutions and secondary education institutions of both countries, the Government of Pskov Oblast, and officials responsible for youth policy in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.

Our university was part of the delegation from the Republic of Belarus. Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov was represented at the event by the Vice-Rector for Educational Work, Svetlana Kostyukova, as well as by staff and students from various faculties of our university.

"Bridges of Friendship" is one of the most significant international youth events. Within the framework of the forum, they discussed the prospects of dialogue among the youth of the Union State, joint projects aimed at strengthening friendly international relations, and best practices of network interaction between higher education institutions of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.

During the forum, participants were required to come up with and implement a project in the media space. Vitebsk State University (VSU) team presented the project "They are Nearby: We Remember, We are Proud," which is already launched and being implemented at our university. The team's goal was to expand the boundaries of this project, attract new participants, and take it to the international level.

During the forum, our students also got acquainted with numerous teams from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. This forum contributed to the identification and dissemination of best practices and initiatives in the field of international and diplomatic relations.

Despite the complexity of the tasks assigned to the forum participants and the responsibility placed on them, they successfully coped and managed to make new acquaintances, gain valuable experience, and simply relax in pleasant company.