On 27 and 28 June, the Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Platforms on Culture, Research and Innovation, Education and Training took place in Tirana. The meeting with the culture ministers was the first organised with the Western Balkans. Commissioner Mariya Gabriel officially launched the platform.

The Commissioner called on the ministers to take full advantage of the meetings to work together to develop cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans and to contribute to the integration of the region in the EU. “Exchange of best practices, knowledge and experiences will take our common work in the field of culture to the next level,” said Mariya Gabriel in her opening remarks.

In this first meeting, Commissioner Gabriel and the culture ministers of the region discussed the role of youth in the promotion and protection of cultural heritage. The discussion covered topics including the shortage of skilled professionals, how to make heritage professions attractive to young people, fighting illicit trafficking of cultural goods, and the role of cultural heritage in a sense of belonging to Europe.

The European Commission, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Albanian Minister of Culture co-chaired the event.