On July 29, a working meeting took place between the Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications for European Integration, Andrii Nadzhos, and representatives of the Embassy of the United States of America in Ukraine — Jonas Stewart, Head of the Public Diplomacy Section, and Matthew Wilson, Deputy Attaché for Education and Culture.
The primary topic of discussion was the preservation and protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage.
Andrii Nadzos informed the Embassy representatives about verified cases of illegal inclusion of Ukrainian museum artifacts in the russian federation’s state catalog. Such actions constitute a direct violation of the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its protocols.
The parties engaged in a detailed discussion of current mechanisms to counteract the illicit trafficking of cultural assets and ways to further improve them. Andrii Nadzhos shared that the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications (MCSC), in cooperation with the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM), is developing a comprehensive action plan, as well as preparing an international conference where EU countries will present their national models for preventing the export of cultural property.
A key topic of discussion was the initiative by the American organization Conflict Observatory, which documents war crimes, including those against cultural heritage sites.
The Deputy Minister also updated on the MCSC’s efforts to implement sanctions against individuals involved in the theft of Ukrainian cultural property. This has been achieved through close collaboration between the MCSC and Ukrainian experts, representing a concrete step within the framework of international law.
The parties agreed to continue their cooperation aimed at protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage and strengthening international support for Ukraine in this area.
