Berset meets culture ministers from Asia and Europe
Federal Councillor Alain Berset took part in the meeting of culture ministers of the Asia-Europe Dialogue Forum (ASEM), which was held in Rotterdam from October 19 to 21. The discussions focused on the cultural industries, creativity and innovation.
Switzerland was represented for the first time at the meeting of ASEM culture ministers, of which it has been a member since 2012. In the margins, Alain Berset held talks with the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Jet Bussemaker. The possibilities for cooperation between the creative industries and sectors such as health, energy and tourism were discussed.
The Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs also met the Chinese Vice Minister of Culture Ding Wei for the second time, where they discussed Pro Helvetia's branch office in Shanghai and the cultural property agreement signed in Beijing in August 2013.
Contacts were also established with Latvia, which will take over the presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2015. Finally, Federal Councillor Alain Berset discussed language issues with the Flemish Minister of Culture, Media and Youth, Sven Gatz.
In 2011, the cultural and creative industries in Switzerland employed over 260,000 people in around 70,000 companies. This corresponds to 10 percent of companies and 5.1 percent of jobs. The promotion of creativity and innovation is one of the main axes on which the Federal Council intends to focus the Confederation's cultural policy in the coming years.
The planned measures include intensifying the tried-and-tested cooperation between cultural promotion, industry and business promotion, promoting innovation in the fields of design and interactive digital media as well as targeted location promotion in the area of film production in Switzerland.
Founded in Bangkok in 1996, the ASEM dialog forum currently has around 50 members. The European group consists of 27 EU member states, Switzerland, Norway and the European Commission. The Asian group comprises 20 countries, namely the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand as well as the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEM member countries currently account for 62.5 percent of the world's population and 57 percent of the world's gross domestic product.
