Ukraine, Japan agree to cooperate in strategic communications
At a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Matsuda Kuninori, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi discussed the formation of directions for the development of strategic communications at the international level and the promotion of Ukrainian culture in Japan.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Culture.
As noted in the ministry, the meeting, which took place on October 1, was also attended by representatives of the embassy, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the MCSC.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the possibility of deepening cooperation on the preservation of cultural heritage, shaping the development of strategic communications at the international level and promoting Ukrainian culture in Japan. In particular, Tochytskyi noted the importance of Japanese assistance in protecting national historical treasures within the framework of UNESCO projects, which has become especially important in times of war.
The participants of the meeting also emphasized the need to strengthen the fight against Russian information aggression, which threatens the objective coverage of events in Ukraine and the world.
“We are interested in exchanging experience with different countries. We should not turn a blind eye to issues related to the fight against Russian propaganda. We know that the aggressor country will use any means to destroy not only our energy infrastructure but also our national heritage. That is why we must be prepared for this and work together,” emphasized the head of the MCSC.
According to him, it is important to prevent Russia from further appropriating the works of Ukrainian artists, stealing historical values that are part of the world's cultural heritage, and most importantly, Ukrainian identity. “Together we must demonstrate to the whole world the truth about Ukraine, our culture and history. I am certainly glad that Japan is our ally and actively supports us in this,” added Tochytskyi.
In his turn, Special Advisor to the President of JICA Kitaoka Shinichi emphasized that Russia distorts historical facts, in particular regarding Crimea: “We need to explain and communicate with every country, because many, such as the leaders of some African countries, do not have a full understanding of your resistance to Russian propaganda, which has been going on since 2014. The aggressor country certainly distorts the real facts about your history. So we need to find an effective way to counter this together.”
He also noted that international cooperation, including the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to New York, helps to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle for sovereignty.
In addition, the discussion also touched on the restoration of infrastructure and cultural exchange.
“You can count on the support of the Japanese government and our people in developing strategic communications and promoting Ukrainian culture in our country. It is important for us that the world sees the difference between Ukraine and Russia. We definitely see it. That is why we should not waste time and wait for the war to end. We must work together to popularize Ukrainian history and culture on the world stage. We are pleased to continue our cooperation in the cultural, communication and business spheres,” Kuninori emphasized.
According to Anastasia Bondar, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Digital Transformation and Digitalization, the restoration of cultural heritage is not only about rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure, but also about creating conditions that will help Ukrainians return to their cities. She also emphasized that it is important to popularize Ukrainian-language content in the information field that will demonstrate the greatness of our culture.
As noted by the MCSC, the parties confirmed their readiness to implement projects to support Ukrainian culture and promote it in Japan.
As Ukrinform previously reported, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi and Minister of Education and Culture of Japan Moriyama Masahito discussed continued cooperation in the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage.
Photo: MCSC