From 22 to 25 September 2026, Yerevan, Armenia, hosted the 15th Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. The event was held under the theme “Routes through Time and Cultures: Education for Sustainable Heritage.”
The Forum brought together around 300 participants, including representatives of Council of Europe member states and the 52 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, researchers and experts in cultural heritage and education from the Council of Europe, the European Union and UNESCO, as well as representatives of universities, museums, national and local authorities, and the business sector.
The programme explored cross-sectoral public policies relating to the study, preservation, intergenerational transmission and promotion of cultural heritage. Participants shared good practices and innovative approaches, including digital solutions for various areas of formal and non-formal education.
H.E. Mr Nikola Nikolov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Armenia, read a message of greeting to the Forum participants on behalf of Minister of Culture Evtim Miloshev. He also reaffirmed the Ministry of Culture’s commitment to preparing a comprehensive analysis of Bulgaria’s potential for participation in the Programme.
Dr Elka Zlateva, Chief Assistant Professor at the Cyrillo-Methodian Research Centre at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (CMRC–BAS) and National Coordinator of the Cyril and Methodius Route in Bulgaria, presented the outcomes of the national information event “Cultural Routes – Bulgaria 2026”, held in Plovdiv and Hisarya on 11–12 June 2026. Her presentation took place during a session dedicated to cooperation among Cultural Routes at national and European levels. She highlighted the Programme’s growing visibility in Bulgaria and the increasingly active participation of Bulgarian organisations in certified Cultural Routes.
During the thematic session on formal education, “Education for Sustainable Heritage in Practice,” Dr Zlateva delivered a presentation entitled “The Cyrillic Alphabet as a Living Bridge between Cultural Heritage, Education, and the Digital Future.”
The Forum was jointly organised by the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA) and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, in partnership with the European Institute of Cultural Routes, the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Armenia and the Cultural Development Foundation, with the support of the Municipality of Yerevan.
