Day 11 – 2nd Cultural Diplomacy Forum
The 2nd Forum on Cultural Diplomacy, part of the program of the 15th School for Young Leaders hosted by former President Ivanov, took place yesterday in Ohrid. The forum was co-organized by the Cabinet of former President Ivanov, the International Center for the Alliance of Civilizations, and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin.
The theme of the forum was “Young Leaders for International Cooperation, Sustainable Development, and Global Peace,” with young participants from the 15th School of Young Leaders actively engaging in discussions and asking questions.
Opening remarks at the first panel were delivered by former President Ivanov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Timčo Mucunski, Mayor of Ohrid Kiril Pecakov, and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, former President of Malta. The discussion, moderated by Ambassador Ivica Bocevski, focused on “Leadership, Cultural Bridges, and Legal Frameworks for Post-Conflict Reconciliation.”
The panelists included Mladen Ivanić, former Chairman 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 at the European Court of Human Rights; Katalin Bogyay, President of the 36th General Conference of UNESCO and former Hungarian Ambassador to the UN and UNESCO; and Rachela Mizrahi, a Member of the Parliament of North Macedonia.
When asked about building cultural bridges among young people, President Ivanov emphasized that intercultural dialogue is crucial for fostering understanding between youth from different cultures. He highlighted that, over the past 15 years of the School of Young Leaders, participants from all continents and cultures have come together, creating an invaluable experience. Personal contact, he noted, is irreplaceable.
In the second part of the forum, opening addresses were given by Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov and Elena Kuzmanovska, State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The panel discussion on “Sustainable Development, Security, and Economic Diplomacy for Facilitating Global Governance” featured speakers such as Ali Jalali, former Minister of Interior of Afghanistan; Davor Filipović, former Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia; Dr. Hans Köhler, President of the International Organization for Progress; Nondas Metaxas, former Executive Director of the Cyprus Stock Exchange; and Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, President of the Alba Party in Scotland.
The forum’s opening address was given by Dr. Ivan Ivanov, Professor and Chairman of the Executive Board of the International Center for the Alliance of Civilizations. The second panel was moderated by Mark Donfried, Director of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin.
