Skopje, 5 October 2022 (MIA) – Culture Minister Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska is set to take part Wednesday afternoon in the 11th Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe taking place from 5-7 October in Crete, Greece. Forum’s programme includes accession ceremonies for new member states of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe - North Macedonia, Lebanon and Albania. The theme of this year’s forum is “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Safeguarding European Values, Heritage, and Dialogue.” According to the Ministry of Culture, the Republic of North Macedonia becomes the 37th member state of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) as of 16 September 2022. North Macedonia is currently crossed by 2 “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe”, the Routes of the Olive Tree and the Iter Vitis Route. In addition to delivering remarks at accession ceremonies for new member states of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, Minister Kostadinovska Stojchevska is set to address a panel on promoting intercultural dialogue on Thursday. Minister Kostadinovska Stojchevska is also scheduled to meet officials of the Association of the European Cultural Route of the Saints Cyril and Methodius to discuss North Macedonia’s joining to Cyril and Methodius Route. The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme was launched in 1987 with over 48 routes established. The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe are an invitation to travel and to discover the rich and diverse heritage of Europe by bringing people and places together in networks of shared history and heritage. They put into practice the values of the Council of Europe: human rights, cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and mutual exchanges across borders, Ministry of Culture said in a press release. “Over 45 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe provide a wealth of leisure and educational activities for all citizens across Europe and beyond and are key resources for responsible tourism and sustainable development. They cover a range of different themes, from architecture and landscape to religious influences, from gastronomy and intangible heritage to the major figures of European art, music and literature,” reads the press release. Through its programme, the Council of Europe offers a model for transnational cultural and tourism management and allows synergies between national, regional and local authorities and a wide range of associations and socio-economic actors.