On May 5–6, during a working visit to Finland, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi held a series of bilateral meetings with ministers from Nordic and Baltic countries.
During the meetings with the Minister of Culture and Equality of Norway Lubna Jaffery, the Minister of Culture of Sweden Parisa Liljestrand, the Minister of Culture of Denmark Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the Minister of Culture of Estonia Heidy Purga, the Minister of Culture of Lithuania Šarūnas Birutis, the Minister of Culture, Innovation, and Higher Education of Iceland Logi Einarsson and the Minister of Social Affairs and Culture of the Faroe Islands Eirikur i Jákupsstovu, the focus was on practical steps to implement the Declaration on Strengthening Cultural Sector Resilience in Ukraine.
The discussions also covered the development of the Culture Recovery Platform, the Ukrainian Heritage Fund, and a coalition to prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural property. Preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) were also discussed, including a joint session on the role of culture in building human potential and strengthening communities.
Mykola Tochytskyi expressed gratitude to Ukraine’s partners for their continued support, involvement in international initiatives, and for backing the Uzhhorod Declaration.
In a separate meeting with the Minister of Science and Culture of Finland Mari-Leena Talvitie both sides confirmed Finland’s continued strong support for Ukraine and their shared commitment to international efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s cultural sector during the ongoing war.
These meetings took place alongside the Informal Meeting of Culture Ministers of the Nordic and Baltic countries and Ukraine, organized by Finland as part of its joint chairmanship of the Nordic Council with the Åland Islands. The ministers also joined a roundtable on protecting cultural heritage during crises and natural disasters. Other key topics included countering disinformation and improving media literacy among citizens.
