The deputy chief of Polish diplomacy took part in a meeting of European affairs ministers, organised by French Secretary of State for European Affairs Amélie de Montchalin to discuss the initiative “European mechanisms to serve as a safeguard of cultural heritage.”

The meeting, initiated by President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, is part of the discourse launched during the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council on the protection of Europe’s cultural heritage.

Meeting participants discussed three areas in which European cooperation on the protection of cultural heritage could be strengthened. The first area involves strengthening the expert coordination in the preservation of monuments as well as joint activities between countries. The second area is the involvement of young people in activities in this field under the Erasmus programme and the European Solidarity Corps initiative. The third one involves the inclusion of the protection of common cultural heritage in European programmes, such as the European Regional Development Fund, Horizon 2020, and the Urban Agenda. These activities should take place within the framework of the existing financial instruments. “Poland supports these lines of action. We put forward these proposals in the planning of the new budget even before the fire,” said Deputy Minister of Szymański and stressed that the events in Paris have clearly demonstrated that European unity can endure if based on the foundation of culture.

At the same time, the French initiative was also being discussed by ministers of culture. Poland was represented by Piotr Gliński, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

 

MFA Press Office