Bulgarian Minister Seeks EUR 600 M for Cultural Projects in 2014-2020

Bulgaria's Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov has called for EU funding of at least EUR 600 M for cultural projects in the 2014-2020 programming period.

Rashidov flew to Brussels to attend a meeting of EU Culture Ministers.

Borisov, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), called on the EU to allocate more attention and resources to culture, which he said had undeservedly been left off the priority list.

"For three and a half years in office we have not seen or heard the word "culture" in reports or statements of the European parliamentary committees. It is very important to us that culture makes its way onto the list of priorities," Rashidov noted.

He stressed that culture had not been hit by deep crisis but was triggering economic growth.

Rashidov claimed that Bulgaria had already made culture a priority and there was talk about cinema, theater, and most notably, archaeology, regardless of the little money available.

He argued that talk meant that serious work was underway in the sphere.

Rashidov informed that Bulgaria's Culture Ministry had already absorbed BGN 126 M in EU funding under various projects, adding that the sum was one and a half times bigger than the annual budget of the Ministry.