Minister Tkachenko: Ukraine interested in Croatia’s experience in preserving cultural heritage

Ukraine is interested in studying Croatia’s experience in organizing the preservation of cultural heritage, both during the war and after it ends.

The relevant statement was made by Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko during a joint briefing with Minister of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia Nina Obuljen-Koržinek and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Today we have the honor of welcoming our Croatian colleague. I am glad that we were able to discuss a number of issues that unite us very much with Croatia. It is the only country in Europe that, unfortunately, has experience of military operations and the destruction of historical and cultural heritage. We discussed Croatia’s experience in preserving cultural heritage and organizing this process both during and after the war,” Tkachenko told.

In her turn, Obuljen-Koržinek mentioned that, during this visit, as well as during previous talks with Emine Dzheppar in Zagreb and online communication with Oleksandr Tkachenko, the parties considered Croatia’s experience in terms of providing immediate assistance with the protection of cultural and historical heritage, urgent measures for its rescue and evacuation, and the assessment of the damage caused by the war.

“I want to emphasize that Croatia was the first country for which the destruction of cultural heritage at the UN International Court of Justice was used to indict one of the officers of the Serbian army. What is happening in Ukraine today is a war crime not only against the civilian population and infrastructure but also against your cultural heritage, because the enemy wants to deny your right to your own identity,” Obuljen-Koržinek noted.

In her words, since the Russian full-scale invasion started, the Government of Croatia has been providing assistance to Ukraine in all areas, including defense, humanitarian support and aid to refugees.

“We will continue to support our friends and partners in Ukraine not only in the preservation of cultural heritage, but also provide support to Ukrainian artists and Ukrainian refugees in Croatia, for whom we also have cultural programs,” Obuljen-Koržinek stressed.

Meanwhile, Dzheppar paid attention to the fact that Croatia hosted the first ever Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform.

According to Dzheppar, Nina Obuljen-Koržinek has a very personal history of the war, as she is the daughter of the mayor of Dubrovnik, one of the most affected cities during the war.

“We want to show the face of war in the 21st century, and as the minister said, the question of the responsibility of the Russian Federation must be indispensable,” Dzheppar said.

In her words, Obuljen-Koržinek is also the Head of the Croatian Commission for UNESCO, so the agenda of her visit includes the exchange of experience between the relevant agencies of Ukraine and Croatia.

A reminder that, on March 16, 2023, Minister of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia Nina Obuljen-Koržinek is paying a visit to Ukraine together with her team.

Photo: Yevhen Kotenko, Ukrinform