site.btaCulture Minister Rashidov Confers with Czech Counterpart Herman

Culture Minister Rashidov Confers with Czech Counterpart Herman

Sofia/Prague, November 3 (BTA) - Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov, who is paying a brief visit to Prague, conferred on Thursday with his Czech counterpart Daniel Herman, Rashidov's Ministry reported.

The Bulgarian Culture Minister presented to Herman a new draft cultural cooperation programme between the two ministries for the period 2017-2019.

The two ministers agreed about the idea to hold a week of Bulgarian culture in Prague and of Czech culture in Sofia.

The Czech Republic welcomed Rashidov's proposal to sign an agreement for preventing illegal trafficking of cultural property. The two countries will exchange experience with Germany and Austria in the fight against smuggling of artefacts, in light of preparations for the adoption of a new EU regulation in 2018 for the importation of cultural assets from third countries.

Work on this key document will fall in the period of the Bulgarian EU Presidency.

Bulgaria was invited to participate with films in the International Film Festival Karlovy Vary, as well as in festivals of student and children's films, which the Czech Republic is hosting.

Prague welcomed Bulgaria's proposal to have the two countries sign an agreement on film co-productions.

Rashidov and Herman will continue their cultural cooperation talks during the upcoming ministerial council in Brussels on November 22.

Minister Herman promised to assist in moving the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Prague to a new and more suitable halls in the city's centre.

On Thursday evening, Rashidov is scheduled to open the exhibition "Ivan Mrkvicka - the Bulgarian Czech (1856-1938)", which will include works by the great Czech artist that have not been displayed before. The event is part of Prague's cultural calendar.