site.btaCulture Minister Bachev Attends International Culture Conference in Ukraine

Culture Minister Marian Bachev led the Bulgarian delegation at the Cooperation for Resilience international culture conference held in Uzhgorod, Ukraine, on February 1 and 2. The forum gathered culture ministers from 28 countries, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef, and UNESCO representatives, the Culture Ministry's official website said on Monday. The event was organized by Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications in collaboration with the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration and UNESCO’s Recovery Support Office.

Bachev voiced Bulgaria's strong support for Ukraine in preserving its cultural heritage and national identity. He also highlighted Bulgaria’s efforts to safeguard Bulgarian cultural sites in Ukraine, most of which are located in the Odesa region.

Within the conference, Minister Bachev held an official meeting with Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, discussing strengthening cultural cooperation, the future of the Creative Europe programme, artificial intelligence, and intellectual property rights for artists, as well as the establishment of a Bulgarian Cultural Centre in Spain.

Bachev also held a meeting with Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochitsky. “Art and culture can and should be stronger than war. Culture and education are the rays that will pull us out of the dark abyss we have fallen into,” the Bulgarian Minister told his counterpart.

At the end of the conference, Bachev welcomed the draft Declaration of the Cooperation for Resilience Conference in Ukraine, declaring Bulgaria’s support for the document, which aligns with Bulgaria's stance of ongoing and multifaceted support for Ukraine. "We support the document and join it, expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people and firmly condemning Russia's unlawful aggression, which has led to the destruction of cultural sites in Ukraine," Bachev said. Bulgaria’s commitment to Ukraine’s recovery efforts, as stated in the National Assembly’s decision of November 3, 2022, was also reaffirmed.

During his visit to Ukraine, Bachev also conferred with members of the Bulgarian community and with Evgeny Smushkov, representative of a Ukraine-Bulgaria friendship council.