Following the tragic Notre-Dame fire, the French government in cooperation with the Romanian EU presidency organized 3 May 2019 in Paris an informal meeting of the EU culture and European affairs ministers. Representing Croatia were Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek and State Secretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Andreja Metelko-Zgombić. After separate meetings at the culture and foreign ministries respectively, a joint plenary session at the Louvre saw the adoption of a declaration on the preservation of common European heritage.
The meetings outlined a strategy for a more effective preservation of the common heritage and the creation of “a European mechanism for the protection of endangered heritage”, which would facilitate exchange of information and found a go-team of experts for quick responses in case of emergencies. The mechanism would run on close cooperation with international partners, notably UNESCO. Special attention was paid to the role of young Europeans, which could be allowed to work on heritage reconstruction projects, including volunteers from the European Solidarity Corps.
In her address, Metelko-Zgombić underscored that Croatia, owing to the tragedies of war and the destruction of hundreds of sacral buildings, has an extensive experience in the reconstruction of built heritage, which is why the Croatian government has offered assistance in the reconstruction of the Notre-Dame. She said the cathedral was a symbol of France, European culture and Christian heritage, therefore its reconstruction is a common duty. She announced that during its EU Council presidency, Croatia would hold a thematic meeting on the protection and reconstruction of the common European heritage.