Today, on March 24, Minister of Culture Monica Babuc has met with ambassadors group of reports for democracy (GR-DEM) of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe which has been on a mission of documentation in the Republic of Moldova, during the period of 23-25 of March, in the context of adopting by the Council of Europe the Action Plan for Republic of Moldova 2017-2020.

 

During discussions, Minister of Culture spoke about the efforts of the Minister of Culture of Republic of Moldova in the field of national cultural heritage protection, mentioning several actions undertaken in the last period, such as development of legal and regulatory framework in this field, of politics that provide revaluation of heritage, of restoration of the most important monuments in the society and others. The official was also referring to the organization in each year of the Europe’s Day of Heritage, initiative of the Council of Europe, which last years has increased the awareness of citizens on the role of cultural heritage in society, has involved different ethnic communities and local public authorities.

 

Also, Monica Babuc requested support of the Council of Europe in implementation of national agenda on undertaking legislative and institutional measures for creating an efficient system of protection and management of cultural heritage, including adjustment of educational programs in order to train restorers, improving cultural management by taking the best practices, supporting national minorities in the activity of recovering cultural heritage and others. Also, the official reiterated the interest for carrying out actions focused on confidence building measures between the two banks of the Nistru River, as well as for the activities dedicated to the remembrance of the Holocaust victims, considering necessary to elaborate a roadmap in order to preserve the memory of Holocaust victims.

 

The Minister mentioned that the Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2017-2020 was adopted by the Council of Europe on February 1, 2017. According to this plan, the area of cooperation in the cultural field focuses on the protection and promotion of cultural heritage. The document emphasized the need for effective implementation of national policy and local historical heritage rehabilitation projects that help sustainable economic and social development. Also, through this Action Plan, Council of Europe will continue to provide financial assistance to the authorities, including the local ones, for assessment of heritage policies and current planning and to identify the potential role of heritage in the process related to urban development and improving the lifestyle of citizens.