SECOND FORUM ON CULTURAL DIPLOMACY
Web page: https://clubofskopje.org/index.php?en_scdf-24_home
Yesterday in Ohrid, the 2nd Forum on Cultural Diplomacy was held, co-organized by the Office of Former President Ivanov, the International Center “Alliance of Civilizations,” and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy from Berlin.
The theme of the forum was “Young Leaders for International Cooperation, Sustainable Development, and Global Peace.” The audience, which included young participants from the 15th School of Young Leaders, had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussions.
The introductory remarks for the first panel were delivered by Former President Ivanov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Timčo Mucunski, the Mayor of Ohrid, Kiril Pecakov, and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, former President of Malta. This panel discussion focused on the theme “Leadership, Cultural Bridges, and Legal Frameworks for Post-Conflict Reconciliation,” moderated by Ambassador Ivica Bocevski, Special Representative of the Government under the Hungarian Presidency of the EU.
The panel featured discussions by Mladen Ivanić, Former Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014-2015, 2016-2017); Alex Salmond, Former First Minister of Scotland (2007-2014); Yossi Beilin, Former Minister of Justice of Israel; Dragoljub Popović, Former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights; Katalin Bogyay, President of the 36th General Conference of UNESCO and former Ambassador of Hungary to the UN and UNESCO; and Rashela Mizrahi, Member of Parliament of North Macedonia.
In response to a question on how to build cultural bridges among youth, President Ivanov emphasized that the foundation is intercultural dialogue, which fosters understanding among young people from different cultures. He highlighted that over the past 15 years of the School of Young Leaders, participants from all continents and diverse cultures have attended, making personal contact an irreplaceable experience.
The second part of the forum began with introductory remarks by Zoran Ljupkov, Minister of Culture and Tourism, and Elena Kuzmanovska, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The panel discussion on the topic “Sustainable Development, Security, and Economic Diplomacy for Facilitating Global Governance” featured presentations by Ali Jalali, Former Minister of Interior of Afghanistan; Davor Filipović, Former Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia; Dr. Hans Koehler, President of the International Progress Organization; Nondas Metaxas, Former CEO of the Cyprus Stock Exchange; and Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, Leader of the Alba Party, Scotland.
The forum’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Ivan Ivanov, Professor and Chair of the Executive Board of the International Center “Alliance of Civilizations.” The second panel was moderated by Mark Donfried, Director of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy from Berlin.
