The State Institute for Culture Took Part in the EUNIC General Assembly in Brussels
On December 12 and 13, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium was held the annual General Assembly of EUNIC – EU National Institutes for Culture network, of which the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs has been a full member since 2021. The meeting was attended by experts from the Institute Pavla Radeva and Nia Tabakova. During the meetings, an opportunity was provided for in-depth discussions on the strategic priorities of the network, current programs and upcoming initiatives in the field of international cultural relations.
One of the main focuses of the meeting were the topics related to the key programs of EUNIC and the presentation of some of the new projects approved for funding in 2024. The results of the selection of projects for the “Cluster Fund” for 2024 were announced (within which the EUNIC-Sofia project "Transforming Urbanism - Connecting People with the Yantra River" was approved, which will be implemented in Veliko Tarnovo in 2025), the progress of the "European Spaces for Culture" initiative and the EUNIC Mobility Program. The Director of the Ukrainian Institute Volodymyr Sheiko presented the development of the initiatives supported by the "EUNIC Ukraine - Culture of Solidarity" fund.
Focus was also placed on the opportunities for expanding cultural relations in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. With the support of the European Commission, a new program will be launched in 2025, which will unite the efforts of European cultural institutes and local partners for the development of sustainable cultural projects in the region.
The program included a panel dedicated to international cultural relations in the context of the new priorities of the European Union. It was attended by Nela Riehl, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the CULT Committee, Georg Haeusler, Director Culture, Creativity and Sport at DG EAC, European Commission, and Eugene Downes, Cultural Director, Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and member of the recent Open Method of Coordination Expert Group on the governance of the EU’s engagement in international cultural relations. “This is an exciting time of change. We have a new Commissioner with a clear focus on culture and education in his portfolio,” stressed Georg Haeusler. The discussion outlined new perspectives for cooperation and affirmed the important role of EUNIC in building international cultural policies that respond to global challenges.
Among the key topics was EUNIC’s commitment to combating climate change. The new “Sustainability Toolkit” was presented, which will help network members integrate environmental strategies into their projects and activities.
The meeting noted the growing presence and activity of Bulgarian embassies in the various EUNIC clusters, which underlines the importance of the membership of the State Institute for Culture in the network. A representative of the Ministry of Culture also took part in the meeting.
The EUNIC General Assembly strengthened the network's position as a leading platform for international cultural cooperation and laid the foundation for building stronger, sustainable and innovative partnerships in a global context.
Photos: ©PaulineCaplet