The George Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation represents Georgia in the project “LIMEN, Cultural Ports from Aegean to the Black Sea”, co-funded by the European Union, by the Black Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme “Black Sea 2007-2013” and by national resources and coordinated by the E.K.B.M.M.
The partners of the project are: the Istanbul and Koc Universities (Turkey), the Municipality of Kavala (Greece), the Museum for National History and Archaeology from Constanta (Romania), the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Odessa City Council (Ukraine), the Municipality of Varna (Bulgaria). The project is supported by: the “Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation” (BSEC) and “Business Council of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation” (BSECBC); the “Black and Azov Seas Ports Association”(BASPA); the “International Black Sea Club” (IBSC).
The aim of the “LIMEN” project is to decisively contribute to addressing an important gap in the development of cultural tourism in the wider Black Sea area. Using the experience from the institution of the European Capital of Culture, the special objective/aim of the project is the establishment of a new institution, the “Black Sea Cultural Port”, in order:
- to become the “umbrella action” for all the cross-border and transnational development initiatives that concern the cities-ports in the Black
Sea basin
- to create a development platform that, in economic and cultural terms, will ensure the equal and sustainable cooperation which will meet the contemporary needs
- to promote the cultural value of these areas and to connect the past with the current economic scenery
- to promote the tourism product by developing an institutionalized model of cooperation, characterized by parity between the participant city- ports
- to support the tourism and other enterprises in the promotion process of special tourism products of each area, especially those connected with the ports and the sea routes.
For the promotion and support of the proposed institution of the “Cultural Port of the Black Sea” at local levels, the project LIMEN envisages the establishment of the local networks of stakeholders in each participant country.