NDPC Declaration: “Celebrating the Cultural Cooperation and Moving Forward”

The cultural collaboration between the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions is reaffirmed and highlighted with a declaration welcoming Ukraine as an observer!

High-level representatives from Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Poland and Sweden met on June 10th in Helsinki, Finland, to reaffirm their dedication to regional cultural cooperation through the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture. The event was hosted by Ms Elina Laavi, the State Secretary to the Minister of Science and Culture of Finland. 

In an era of rising geopolitical insecurity brought about by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, the signatory countries expressed their determination to continue fruitful cultural collaboration through a political declaration. The declaration “Celebrating the Cultural Cooperation and Moving Forward” was signed by Ministers of Culture, Deputy Ministers, State Secretaries, Ambassadors and other High-Level Representatives of the partner countries. 

The signatory countries are united in their vision of sustaining regional collaboration with like-minded countries that share democratic values. Event participants welcomed the guest of honour, Her Excellency, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Finland, Ms. Olga Dibrova, who formally received Ukraine’s invitation to join the Partnership as an observer country.  

In her speech, Ambassador Dibrova confirmed that the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has officially accepted the invitation, and it will be an honour for Ukraine to join the NDPC as an observer country. 

In these uncertain times, celebrating the future of cultural collaboration is a hopeful reminder of the value of unity and interdependence the partner countries share with Ukraine. The Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture remains determined to its mission to strengthen the strategic role of the Cultural and Creative Sectors in sustainable development across the region. 

The declaration was signed by:  

• Denmark: Jakob Engel-Schmidt, Minister of Culture 
• Estonia: Sven Sakkov, Ambassador 
• Finland: Elina Laavi, State Secretary 
• Germany: Christoph Ubbo Peleikis, Minister-Counsellor 
• Iceland: Arna Thorgeirsdottir, Deputy to the Ambassador, Trade and Cultural Representative 
• Latvia: Dace Vilsone, State Secretary 
• Norway: Ina Nygård Mossin, First Secretary 
• Poland: Marta Cienkowska, Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage 
• Sweden: Parisa Liljestrand, Minister of Culture 

Photo: All signatories of the declaration from Finland, Poland, Norway, Latvia, Iceland, Germany and Estonia together with Ambassador of Ukraine to Finland Ms Olga Dibrova. Photo by Katarina Koch /OKM.