Today, on December 21, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostyslav Karandieiev met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, Kuninori Matsuda.
The parties discussed key cooperation issues for the next year, including collaboration for the restoration of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, initiatives in the field of information policy, and the implementation of a project for the evacuation of museum artifacts.
Kuninori Matsuda expressed readiness to mobilize the Japanese private sector to support Ukrainian culture, including the restoration of historical landmarks and strengthening relations between sister cities in Ukraine and Japan.
“We intend to engage the private sector in Japan for active support of Ukraine. We aim to initiate new initiatives and implement specific projects in the coming year,” the Ambassador announced. He also suggested participating in international conferences and events in Japan focused on the restoration and development of Ukraine’s cultural sector.
Rostyslav Karandieiev expressed gratitude to Japan and its people for supporting Ukrainian culture and emphasized the readiness to continue cooperation in the coming year in the restoration of Ukrainian cultural heritage, which is a key focus of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy.
“The restoration of cultural objects is a key theme for us. Our goal is not only to restore monuments to their pre-war state but to create an entirely new tourist center with innovative logistics and amenities for visitors. This ambitious project requires specialists in restoration who are proficient in modern methods. I appeal to Japan to support this initiative, as the demand for restorers will remain relevant for many years to come,” he stated.
The Acting Minister proposed the idea of establishing a Restoration Support Office within the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy to preserve and restore cultural heritage, as well as transform cultural spaces. The meeting also addressed the initiative to create a platform for communication among all foreign correspondents’ offices in Ukraine, based on Ukrinform.
“From the early days of the full-scale invasion, we faced the challenge of evacuating cultural artifacts from museums. Creating technically equipped depositories for preserving artifacts became our task. This initiative is evolving, and we need the assistance and consultation of Japanese experts for the successful implementation of this project,” stated the Acting Minister.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine expressed readiness to support the implementation of the mentioned initiatives in practice.
