Cultuurministers vieren 50ste verjaardag van Europese Culturele Conventie (en)

Strasbourg, 25.10.2005 - European Ministers of Culture will gather at a conference to mark the end of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the European Cultural Convention(*), being held in Faro, Portugal, on 27 and 28 October. Hosted by the Council of Europe and Portugal's Ministry of Culture, this conference is part of the Portuguese Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and is aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue within European societies and with neighbouring states.

The ministers' discussions will focus on the promotion of intercultural dialogue and on means of co-operation between the Council of Europe and other international organisations. Highlights of the conference will be the adoption of the "Faro Declaration on the Council of Europe's Strategy for Developing Intercultural Dialogue", a debate on increased co-operation with UNESCO and the European Union in cultural matters and the signature of agreements with organisations active in the Mediterranean region.

Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Isabel Pires de Lima, Portugal's Minister of Culture, will open the conference at 9 am on Thursday 27 October (Ria Park Garden Hotel, Vale do Lobo, Algarve).

The Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society, recently adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (see press release No. 536a05), will be opened for signature on the occasion of this conference.

The conference will be open to the press. A closing press conference is scheduled for 1 pm on Friday 28 October.

The conference programme and more information on the activities of the Council of Europe can be found at www.coe.int.

Contacts in Faro:

Ministry of Culture of Portugal:

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  Nelson Lopes (Tel. +351 96 203 18 17 ; E-mail: nlopes@mc.gov.pt) or Maria do Ceu Novais (Tel. +351 96 214 88 75 ; E-mail: mcnovais@mc.gov.pt), press officers

Council of Europe :

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  Gianluca Silvestrini, Head of Central Division, Directorate General for Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport (Mobile: +33 6 65 24 62 18)

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(*)The Cultural Convention brings together the 48 countries of Europe, i.e. all 46 member states of the Council of Europe plus Belarus and the Holy See.