Malta Stands With Ukraine: Protecting Culture And Preserving Identity
“Malta will continue to support the European Union’s efforts to enable Ukraine to participate in EU cultural and heritage programmes aimed at protecting its historical heritage. In doing so, we are not only bringing Ukraine closer to the European Union, but also clearly showing that Malta firmly believes Ukrainian culture forms part of European culture — and deserves to be preserved and protected in the context of the Russian aggression it is enduring.”
This was stated by Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici during his intervention at the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Culture held in Poland, attended by other Culture Ministers, including Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Culture, Mykola Tochytskyi.
Minister Bonnici explained that among the EU’s joint initiatives in support of Ukraine are actions focused on protecting intangible cultural heritage and combating illicit trafficking of cultural property. He highlighted the importance of knowledge exchange between experts from EU institutions, Member States and their Ukrainian counterparts.
Minister Bonnici also stressed the need for a comparative analysis of cultural heritage legislation between EU Member States and Ukraine. This would help strengthen Ukraine’s legal framework, allowing its institutions to align their regulations with best practices from across the EU.
During the meeting, European priorities in the cultural and creative sectors — particularly within the labour market — were also discussed.
While acknowledging that culture cannot be seen as the universal solution to every social challenge, Minister Bonnici argued that it undoubtedly helps to address many of them. “We need to harness the powerful role of culture to build cohesive and inclusive societies — not least because culture strengthens democracy,” Dr Bonnici said.
He further explained that culture helps European communities become more resilient when facing crises, particularly in light of the current geopolitical tensions within Europe and beyond.
Minister Bonnici reiterated Malta’s consistent approach of supporting cultural practitioners and operators without unnecessary administrative burdens. He explained that the Maltese Government has always sought to provide creative practitioners with new opportunities to develop within their chosen artistic sectors — with the number of creatives in Malta more than doubling within a single generation.
Looking ahead to the next Annual Financial Framework, Minister Bonnici explained that this programme must be effective and serve as a useful tool for leveraging funds at both national and EU levels.
He concluded by emphasising that national activities in the cultural sector should be strengthened through cross-border cooperation — facilitated by the European Union — in order to help countries work hand-in-hand in an ever-changing world.