On January 28, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain José Manuel Albares Bueno.
They discussed strengthening cooperation to restore Ukraine’s cultural infrastructure and protect its heritage.
Tochytskyi informed his counterpart about the upcoming Ukraine Culture Conference “Cooperation for Resilience” set for early February in Ukraine. The event will serve as a platform to expand international cooperation, building on last year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin and meetings in Vilnius and Naples.
Tochytskyi emphasized that Spain’s participation would send a strong message of support for Ukraine.
The Minister expressed gratitude to the Spanish government for supporting Ukrainian culture. Notably, on January 28, a UNESCO Cultural Hub was opened in Lviv, funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
The two ministers discussed efforts to repatriate illegally exported artifacts and strengthen international cooperation to combat the illicit trade in cultural property.
They also addressed measures to counter hybrid threats and russian propaganda, as well as opportunities for collaboration in publishing and library development.
Spain remains a steadfast supporter of initiatives aimed at restoring Ukraine’s cultural heritage. On June 7, 2024, the “Vilnius Call to Action on the Recovery of the Culture Sector of Ukraine” was adopted at the International Conference “Towards the Recovery of the Culture Sector of Ukraine” in Vilnius, Lithuania. Isaac Sastre de Diego, Director General for Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts at the Spanish Ministry of Culture represented Spain.
