Associations of photographers from four Eastern Partnership countries accepted to Federation of European Professional Photographers

Baku, April 27 (AzerTAc). Associations of photographers from Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, besides cooperating within the SAY CHEESE project, can now become part of the European photographic community. This week, Belarusian public association “Photoiskusstvo”, Association of Photographers of Georgia (APG) and National Union of Artist Photographers of Ukraine have become full members of the Federation of European Professional Photographers (FEP) that unites more than 50 thousand professional photographers from 27 European countries. Azerbaijan Photographers Union will join the FEP as an affiliated member. Main task of the Federation of European Professional Photographers is to promote and support professional associations of photographers in Europe on topics like education, training, professional standards, authors rights and other aspects. The FEP conducts regular contests for professional photographers and is a founder and a coordinator of a set of European professional qualifications, such as QEP (Qualified European Photographer). In late March, FEP Chief Executive Officer Giuseppe Scozzi was invited by the SAY CHEESE partners to take part in the international conference Photography in Eastern Partnership countries: challenges and solutions, where he talked about the FEP’s activities and benefits. When asked whether the FEP is ready to accept national associations of photographers from Eastern Partnership countries, Giuseppe Scozzi said, ‘We are clearly interested in cooperation between the FEP and associations of photographers from Eastern Partnership countries. We are sure that such cooperation will professionally enrich both our federation and your associations.’ On April 15, in the city of Gmunden (Austria), the FEP General Assembly unanimously accepted Belarusian public association “Photoiskusstvo”, Association of Photogarphers of Georgia (APG) and National Union of Artist Photographers of Ukraine as full FEP members, and Azerbaijan Photographers Union as an affiliated member. ‘Your membership [in the FEP] will … facilitate cultural interchanges and the integration into the European photographic family and will give a great chance to many further photographers to promote themselves in the European professional society,’ says the FEP in its address to its new members. Associations of photographers from Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan put high hopes on their membership in the FEP.