Culture and Sport at the heart of the discussions on the first day of the Council meeting
The Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, who is in Luxembourg for the EU Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council on 4 and 5 April, participated today in the first day of the Council's work, during which Ministers focused on Culture and Sport issues.
During the morning part of the session, a debate was held on issues related to Culture, Audiovisual and Mass Media. The discussions focused on support for the cultural sector and the protection of cultural heritage in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of the country. The session was addressed by the Minister of Culture of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko.
In his intervention, the Minister of Education and Culture, after reiterating Cyprus' condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stressed that Cyprus is ready to support by all means at its disposal the cultural and mass media sector in Ukraine, which have been severely affected by the war in the country. Referring to Cyprus' experience in the digitisation of cultural heritage, Mr Prodromou expressed our country's willingness to contribute actively to the preservation of Ukraine's digital cultural heritage. Mr Prodromou made a special reference to the need for vigilance regarding the illicit trafficking of cultural goods and informed his counterparts about the activities of the National Committee for the Suppression of Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Heritage, which works in coordination with other states to identify antiquities that are illegally trafficked. In this context, the Minister also referred to the importance of the adoption by more States of the Council of Europe Convention on offences relating to cultural heritage, also known as the "Nicosia Convention", which entered into force on 1 April and, as the Minister said, will significantly strengthen our efforts. They also adopted Conclusions on the creation of a European strategy for the cultural and creative industries ecosystem.
The proceedings concluded this afternoon with a debate on sport-related issues. As part of the proceedings, Ministers held an orientation debate on the promotion of EU values through sport and its organisation, and examined ways of supporting Ukrainian athletes, following the intervention of the Minister of Sport of Ukraine Vadym Huttsait. During the discussions, Mr Prodromou reiterated Cyprus' readiness to provide assistance and facilities to Ukrainian athletes, such as, for example, the recent approval for the participation and all expenses coverage of the Ukrainian Junior Swimming Team to participate in the Games to be held in Cyprus on 9 and 10 April 2022. At the same time, Mr Prodromou highlighted the use of sports diplomacy as a tool to promote the unity and values of the EU, both in support of the Ukrainian refugee athletes and more generally, as well as the use of the opportunities offered through the European Financial Programmes such as Erasmus+, Cohesion Policy Funds and others. At noon, Mr Prodromou participated in a working lunch, where he discussed the provision of incentives and support measures for women in the sports sector with the aim, inter alia, of improving their access to positions of responsibility in the governance of sports organisations.
The work will continue tomorrow, with a discussion on Education and Youth.
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