French and Finnish Ministers of Culture met in Helsinki
Minister of Culture Tanja Saarela and her French colleague Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres met in Helsinki on 29 August 2006. The Ministers discussed important cultural policy issues on the Finnish EU Presidency agenda.
These include the Culture 2007 programme, the Europe for Citizens programme and the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, the ratification of the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity, cultural matters in the Helsinki ASEM Conference, and European architectural policy.
The Ministers noted that their common aim is to achieve the speediest possible ratification of the Unesco Convention. Holding the EU Presidency, Finland will seek to step up measures to this effect. Another aim is to make sure that UNESCO will reserve adequate resources for the worldwide implementation of the Convention. The Ministers also highlighted the role of culture in development cooperation. The UNESCO Convention will provide an important frame of reference for this.
One aim during the Finnish Presidency is to strengthen European policy in the area of cultural digitisation, based on the European Commission Recommendation, and to get work on a European digital library underway.
The Ministers discussed the French Government's initiative for a European cultural heritage list and logo. They stressed that the effort to promote the common European cultural heritage and to enhance the visibility of cultural heritage supplements national measures in this area. Minister Saarela told that Finnish cultural heritage experts have been asked to explore the feasibility of this project as promptly as possible.
One of the issues discussed was the close bilateral cooperation between France and Finland.
Finnish culture will be strongly in evidence in France in 2008 during a Finnish cultural season in Paris and some other French cities. Finnish culture, with emphasis on young artists, will be widely available to the French public. The programme includes music and design in general and fashion and fashion design in particular. The French Minister suggested an accent on the Baltic-Mediterranean cultural axle. The major public event will take place in June 2008. According to plans, there will be a traditional Finnish open air dance, with "Finnish tango" dance courses.
For more information:
- Director Jukka Liedes, tel. +358-(0)40-543 0333
- Counsellor for Cultural Affairs Eva Paajanen, tel. +358-(0)40-586 2970
- Special Government Advisor Risto Kivelä, tel. +358-(0)40-547 3273