The ministerial in Tirana focused on creating a cultural platform for the Western Balkans that will address difficulties and assist artists in EC initiatives such as Creative Europe and Horizon.
Elva Margariti, Minister of Culture, stated that this effort is undertaken especially for young people because their future is in their hands.
“It was reiterated throughout this ministry that additional policies are needed to support young artists, to assist them understand the European Commission’s programs, and to let them to participate in initiatives and policy-making because the future is in their hands. “More awareness and uncompromising fight against illegal trafficking of cultural assets by cooperating closely between our countries,” said Margariti.
While EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel emphasized that financial support for the Western Balkans has grown this year.
“First and foremost, I must underline that we have 5 instruments dedicated to the Culture and Education division at our disposal. I’d like to remind you of the specific support, particularly with Erasmus Plus, for Western Balkan countries, which totals 374 million euros for the period 2021-2027. The new Horizon Europe initiative includes a segment dedicated to culture and creativity for the first time, with a budget of 2.28 billion euros.”
The French Minister of Culture, as well as officials from participating nations such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Northern Macedonia, welcomed the conference and presented their projects and experiences.