Brussels, 17/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - At the end of their summit in The Hague on 8 November (EUROPE 9 November p 5), the EU and India adopted a joint declaration on their cultural relations in which they announced that they would be including a chapter focusing on cultural cooperation in their strategic partnership EU/India action plan.
In their declaration the EU and India highlighted dialogue between cultures and indicated that they would place their mutual position on the subject in a "new convention on protection of cultural diversity and artistic expression which will be negotiated under the auspices of UNESCO". The EU and India said that they are convinced that, "new themes for cooperation could be envisaged in the future…particularly in the sectors where longstanding cultural traditions and contemporary creativity could support this cooperation…We will be focusing on these themes and studying ways for co-operating". The EU and India welcomed the launch of the Erasmus Mundus programme and the initiative to include a chapter on India. The EU has taken action with respect to other similar possibilities being available to students in its Member States by way of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
The EU and India announced that they had agreed to facilitate access to universities and residency on their respective territories for teachers and students on bona fide course at the universities in question. They also declared that they would be promoting the creation in the said establishments of university chairs for the study of their civilisations and contemporary political and economic systems. The declaration also notes that the conservation and restoration of works of art and monuments is a sector in which exchanges of experiences, techniques and know-how could bring added value to the preservation of cultural heritage. The Urbs for Asia programme in this connection provides a potential that could be further exploited. The EU and India have expressed their wish for the full use of respective potential in cinematic production and distribution. They also indicated that they will be supporting dialogue between their audio-visual industries in an effort to stimulate cooperation and programme exchange. The declaration affirmed that the promotion of tourism in both directions and increased exchange programmes for the young, including the creation of new cultural centres should be priority for reinforcing mutual understanding amongst the new generation.