On October 1, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Mykola Tochitskyi, met with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine, Matsuda Kuninori. Representatives from the embassy, JICA agency, and the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications also attended the meeting.
The parties discussed the possibility of deepening cooperation in preserving cultural heritage, developing strategic communications at the international level, and promoting Ukrainian culture in Japan. In particular, Mykola Tochitskyi emphasized the importance of Japanese assistance in protecting national historical values within UNESCO projects, which has become especially significant in the context of the war.
The participants of the meeting also emphasized the need to strengthen the fight against russia’s information aggression, which poses a threat to the objective coverage of events in Ukraine and around the world.
“We are interested in exchanging experiences with various countries. We must not turn a blind eye to issues related to the fight against russian propaganda. We know that the aggressor country will use any means to destroy not only our energy infrastructure but also our national heritage. That is why we must be prepared for this and work together. It is important to prevent the appropriation of works by Ukrainian artists, the theft of historical artifacts that are part of the world cultural heritage, and, most importantly, our identity. We must together demonstrate to the world the truth about Ukraine, our culture, and our history. I am, of course, glad that Japan is our ally, actively supporting us in this,” stated Mykola Tochitskyi.
For his part, JICA Special Advisor to the President, Kitaoka Shinichi, emphasized the distortion of historical facts by russia, particularly regarding Crimea: “We must clarify and communicate with each country, as many, including leaders of some African countries, do not fully understand your resistance to russian propaganda, which has been ongoing since 2014. The aggressor country certainly distorts the real facts about your history. Therefore, we need to find effective ways to counter this together.”
He also noted that international cooperation, particularly the visit of the President of Ukraine to New York, helps to raise global awareness of Ukraine’s struggle for sovereignty.
In addition, the discussions also covered issues related to infrastructure recovery and cultural exchange.
“You can count on support from the government of Japan and our people in developing strategic communications and promoting Ukrainian culture in our country. It is important for us that the world sees the difference between Ukraine and russia. We certainly see it. That is why we must not waste time waiting for the war to end. We must jointly promote Ukrainian history and culture on the world stage. We are pleased to continue cooperation in the cultural, communication, and entrepreneurial sectors,” emphasized Matsuda Kuninori.
According to Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformations, and Digitalization Anastasia Bondar, the restoration of cultural heritage involves not only rebuilding destroyed infrastructure but also creating conditions that will encourage Ukrainians to return to their cities. She also emphasized the importance of promoting Ukrainian-language content in the information space that will showcase the greatness of our culture.
The parties confirmed their readiness to implement projects aimed at supporting Ukrainian culture and promoting it in Japan.
