site.btaVarna Opinion-makers and Local Officials Discuss Culture Policies in BTA-organized Forum

Local government officials and opinion makers in the Black Sea city of Varna discussed culture and European culture policies at a BTA-organized forum here Thursday. “To Europeans, spiritual culture is much more important than the material one,” said BTA Director General Kiril Valchev.

The event is part of BTA's Bulgarian Voices for Europe Initiative, held with the European Parliament's support. 

“There are many definitions for culture, a honing of the spirit, an upbringing,” added Valchev. The contemporary world is making a mistake by beginning to apply anti-cultural practices. The highest possible achievement is to know the other, he said, adding that belittling the different is anti-European and anti-cultural. The culture of the European Union steps on the achievements of every one, including those beyond Europe, the BTA Director General said.

MEP Emil Radev, who participated in the discussion online, recalled that AI is increasingly becoming a part of everyday life and said that both the European Parliament and the Commission are working actively on rules for its use in different spheres. The establishment of a European AI council is also planned, he said.

Digitization of museum and library collections, easier user access, as well as introduction of computer-assisted translation are among the good opportunities AI offers in culture, Radev said.

Addressing the forum, Varna Mayor Ivan Portnih spoke about the city’s role as a cultural centre, the venue of over 40 festivals each year and the location where the oldest crafted gold in the world was discovered at a Chalcolithic necropolis some 50 years ago.

European cultural heritage should be taught intensively in school, on a par with national cultural heritage, said Georgi Lozanov, head of BTA’s Culture, Science and Education Directorate.

Varna Regional Information Centre head Viktoria Nikolova, the Chief Librarian at the Varna Regional Library, Kristiana Dimcheva, the director and Chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Film Makers, Milko Lazarov, as well as the Varna Theatre and Music Production Centre head, Daniela Dimova, also took part in the discussion.

The discussion is streamed live by BTA at: in Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/events/1110739759764625 and in YouTube - https://youtu.be/hAsF1_78dKo