PRESS RELEASE : International Cultural Diplomacy Forum [December 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 4 December 2023.

Arts & Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson address the International Cultural Diplomacy Forum held by the Ukrainian Institute at the British Library.

Good morning. It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the British Library today on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, and my thanks to the Ukrainian Institute for organising such an important and I hope stimulating event today.

Let me start by underlining the UK’s continued horror at Russia’s ongoing aggression, and its terrible impact in Ukraine. Thousands of people have been killed or displaced and precious infrastructure and heritage have been destroyed with a brutality which shocked the whole world.

The attempted desecration of Ukrainian cultural heritage must not be overlooked. UNESCO has verified damage to more than 330 sites since February last year, a figure which includes libraries, museums, religious sites, and so many other places, which people in Ukraine and far beyond hold dear. Ukrainian culture and language has been deliberately and cynically targeted in this war.

The United Kingdom continues to stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of this terrible aggression. British families have been quick to welcome Ukrainian refugees displaced by Russia’s violence. Audiences across this country have been delighted to hear the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine when they toured earlier this summer and the UK particularly the city of Liverpool was honoured to host Eurovision, a focal moment for cultural diplomacy as well as a fun event on behalf of our friends in Ukraine to make sure that Ukrainian culture was at the centre of the global stage as it deserves to be.

Here at the British Library the team have been doing their own great work to support their colleagues in Ukraine alongside the delegation of Ukrainian librarians, which Dame Carol has just mentioned, which was welcomed earlier this year. The library curated a display about the Ukrainian poet, writer and artist Taras Shevchenko, considered the founder of modern Ukrainian literature.

It also had the pleasure of hosting Olena Zelenska the first lady of Ukraine alongside Akshata Murty the wife of our own Prime Minister for the launch of the Ukrainian Bookshelf Project in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine that saw the donation of hundreds of Ukrainian books to the British Library so that they can be read and enjoyed by people throughout the United Kingdom for generations to come.

I was struck by the words that we heard at the opening, which reading is such a solace, in times of challenge and it’s heartening to hear that people may be reading the same books during this week and weeks to come. That project, the Ukrainian bookshelf project, is just one of many examples organised by our cultural bodies across the country which stand testament to the widespread and unwavering support for Ukraine from every corner of the United Kingdom.

In good times, as well as bad cultural diplomacy plays a pivotal role in increasing understanding cooperation and peaceful relations between nations. We’re all enriched by the sharing of cultural heritage, art, literature, music, and so much more, which forge lasting connections between people and between nations.

This summer I was very lucky to visit Delhi and Varanasi attending the meeting of G20 cultural ministers hosted by the government of India where I and other Ministers were clear in our condemnation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The discussions that we had in that meeting and the cultural programme which accompanied it were wonderful examples of the power of art and creativity to develop connections between people and I look forward to continuing those discussions during the Brazilian presidency of the G20 next year.

The British Council which is the UK’s cultural relations organisation helps us to maintain and deepen our relationships with other nations across the globe.

We’ve heard mentioned already the brilliant UK Ukraine season of culture, which we’ve celebrated over the past couple of years and I look forward to the forthcoming seasons with Kenya and Vietnam, and all that we’ll be able to enjoy and learn from each other during those. I’m glad that the discussions that you’ve got planned today will cover how we can use all of the opportunities of the modern age, including digital diplomacy, to foster cultural relations, and global collaboration.

Cultural diplomacy is a powerful tool for building bridges promoting peace and connecting people through our shared interests and values. Using it to foster a sense of our common humanity is perhaps now more important than ever. So thank you very much again for organising these important discussions today. And thank you for the opportunity to be here with you Slava Ukraini.