In London, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture, Tetiana Berezhna, and the UK Minister of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Ian Murray, signed a joint agreement establishing the Ukrainian-British Commission on Culture.
"The commission will serve as a platform for the systematic development of bilateral cultural cooperation, the exchange of experience and best practices, the identification of shared priorities, and the implementation of cultural projects within the framework of the centenary partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland," the Ministry of Culture stated.
The commission is expected to provide an opportunity for the systematic development of cooperation between the two countries and the implementation of significant cultural projects.
The commission will be led by representatives of the government bodies responsible for cultural policy in Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The Ukrainian Institute (a state institution) has been designated as a key member of the commission on the Ukrainian side, while the British Council will serve in this capacity on the British side.
Commission meetings are planned to be held annually, alternating between Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
In particular, Berezhna expressed gratitude to the British side for its consistent and substantial support of Ukrainian culture since the beginning of the full-scale war.
"The total financial support for Ukraine's cultural sector channeled through the Ministry of Culture amounts to GP 2.8 million. This includes GBP 2 million to support Ukrainian cultural organizations and implement the priorities of the Ukrainian-British Commission on Culture and the goals of the centenary partnership between Ukraine and the UK, as well as an additional GBP 800,000 for Ukrainian heritage and a pilot project with the Shevchenko Museum," the statement reads.
In addition, the parties discussed further cooperation in the sphere of culture and the preservation of Ukraine's cultural heritage. Particular attention was paid to international cultural projects, specifically the Sacred Treasures from Kyiv exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
