(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, stated this during a press conference in Copenhagen on November 3, where an informal meeting of EU culture ministers was taking place, Ukrinform's correspondent reports.

"Europe and European Union will always support Ukraine (...) It is a commitment to defend democracy. And it's a commitment to protect, preserve and promote culture and cultural heritage. Because protecting heritage is also protecting democracy and because culture is always the first line of defense," Micallef said.

He noted that it is no surprise to him that Russian aggression manifests itself in attacks on Ukrainian culture and identity.

"Attacks that have so far destroyed more than 1,600 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine. Attacks that destroyed close to 2,500 cultural infrastructure facilities, and attacks that involve disinformation and misinformation," he said.

"This is a war of ideas as much as it is a war of artillery, weapons, and ammunition. It is a war of our values, it is a war on democracy, a war on Ukrainian democracy and European democracy. And in this war, Ukraine is fighting to protect us and to protect our democracy. So it is indeed our duty, it's our responsibility to support Ukrainian resilience, to support Ukraine's culture and Ukraine's cultural heritage," Micallef added.

He expressed confidence that the EU will continue to firmly uphold its commitment to assist Ukraine, especially on the cultural front.

"Next week, when I present the Cultural Compass for Europe, I will propose that we renew this commitment that our cultural vision recognizes the role that culture plays, especially in our external actions," Micallef said.

He believes the EU must systematically and strategically integrate culture into its foreign policy, aligning cultural action with geopolitical priorities - an approach expected to contribute to the EU's enlargement.

Read also: Berezhna: Diaspora is important partner in advocating for support of Ukrainian culture

Micallef recalled examples of EU support for Ukrainian culture, including the Team Europe for cultural heritage in Ukraine initiative announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome this July, as well as an additional EUR 2 million allocated under the Creative Europe program.

He noted that since July, 24 EU member states have announced 74 support commitments aimed at protecting and preserving Ukraine's cultural heritage and improving professional training for heritage specialists.

This means the European Commission's total support for Ukrainian culture, cultural heritage, and creative professionals has reached EUR 50 million, of which EUR 20 million comes from Creative Europe.

"Money that has supported, amongst others, the mobility of more than 360 Ukrainian artists," the Commissioner said. "Of course, there is more work to do. And this is our duty, it is our responsibility, it is an investment in the future and Ukraine's future in the European Union."

As Ukrinform reported, Denmark and the Netherlands have called on other EU member states to contribute to the restoratio of Ukraine's cultural heritage amid ongoing Russian attacks, as stated by Danish Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture, Tetyana Berezhna, at the informal meeting of EU culture ministers, thanked partners for their initial contributions to the newly launched Cultural Heritage Fund.

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