The eighth Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers of Culture (ASEM CMM8) will be held in Sofia

The eighth Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers of Culture (ASEM CMM8) will be held in Sofia in the period 28 February to 2 March. The motto of the meeting is "The role of culture in external relations: the road forward".

The forum will be chaired by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria Mr Boil Banov and will be organised in two plenary sessions. The discussion will be structured around two issues:

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  How does culture contribute to the strengthening of the external relations of countries; and
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  What measures can be taken at a national level for the purpose of promoting cooperation between the all interested parties to ensure synergies among international cultural relations.

On 1 March three parallel workshops will be organised. The workshops will address the following topics:

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  Supporting culture as a driving force for sustainable social and economic development;
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  Promoting culture and intercultural dialogue for peaceful inter-community relations; and
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  Enhancing the cooperation within the area of cultural heritage, including the fight against and the prevention of the illegal trafficking of cultural property.

During the second plenary session on 2 March, the conclusions from the workshops will be presented, the ministers will adopt a final declaration (Chair’s Statement) and the host for the next ASEM СММ9 will be chosen.