Ministry of Culture presents Cultural Policy of Georgia

The Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia is asking the public to become involved and help create and develop the country’s Cultural Policy strategy.

The Cultural Policy strategy aimed to ensure sustainable development of culture within Georgia.

To get the public involved, the Ministry launched the ‘Create Cultural Policy Together’ campaign today as a way to gain a better understanding of public perception.

The Cultural Policy strategy was initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia after the Minister, about a year ago, ordered the creation of a Temporary Commission for Cultural Policy and Strategy Development.

The Ministry’s priorities for 2013-2014 are protection and development of material and non-material cultural heritage, construction of cultural center in regions, promotion of modern art and art education and raise awareness of the culture of national minorities.

The Commission developed important documents stating the values and main direction of the Cultural Policy. This document was greatly needed as a clear Cultural Policy did not exist in Georgia.

Today’s campaign launch was attended by Minister of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia Guram Odisharia, State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration of Georgia Alexi Petriashvili, the President's special representative in relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and other public officials.

At the ceremony, Minister Odisharia said 2015 would be celebrated as the Year of Culture and Tbilisi would be the Capital of Culture.

Minister Odisharia said Georgia's long-term strategy to develop a Cultural Policy would be based on ideas already presented and the Ministry would base its institutional and structural reforms on the same conception.

He believed the creation of a Cultural Policy would positively contribute to Georgia’s European integration process, as the Association Agreement with the EU imposed a number of obligations in the field of culture, including holding cultural policy dialogue between the EU and Georgia.

Today’s presentation was part of the 2014 Action Plan of the 2014-2017 Strategy of Euro-Integration Communication and Information Issues. The main goal of the Action Plan was to raise public awareness of the European integration process and international commitments made by Georgia.