site.btaCulture Minister Opens International Conference "In the Face of War: European Dialogue"

The caretaker Culture Minister Nayden Todorov opened Thursday an international conference In the face of war: European dialogue, focused on the theme "From the Balkans to the Black Sea: Legacies, Identities, and European Trajectories”. The conference will continue until June 15 in Sofia and Plovdiv.

The substantial social interest in European Dialogue is proven by the fact that it is taking place in different European capitals, Todorov said.

The Director of the French Institute in Bulgaria, Luc Levy, recalled that the conference was held in Prague, Vilnius and Amsterdam. The conference in Sofia is attended by more than 30 intellectuals from Paris, Kyiv, Warsaw, Riga, Budapest, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Chisinau.

“Time passes, the witnesses of the old wars become fewer and, lo and behold, there is war in Europe again. Why? Because one of the most difficult things in this world is to preserve human memory," Minister Todorov said.

In Todorov’s words, many people take Europe for granted, but the European Union can be lost, as it has been achieved. “We should struggle for its preservation and expansion because, whatever we say, the only possible way forward is the way we walk together", added Minister.

France's Ambassador to Bulgaria Joel Meyer said that "this series of meetings and discussions aims to explore the various consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine”. "The European Dialogue is an exceptional platform for exchange. We bring together researchers, philosophers, writers who come from very different European countries", Meyer added.

The participants will include Frédéric Martel, writer, sociologist and journalist in France Culture; writer Mathias Enard (2015 Prix Goncourt for Boussole [Compass]); philosopher Konstantin Sigov; geographer Michel Foucher; writer Ahmet Insel; political scientist Una Bergmane -, Sylvie Kaufman, editor of the French daily Mond; professor of political science Dimitris Christopoulos; poet and writer Tomasz Rozycki; writer Igor Stiks, cultural expert Dejan Ubovic.

From the Bulgarian side, Vessela Tcherneva, Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations and head of the Sofia office, journalist Boyko Vasilev; journalist and philosopher Toni Nikolov; professor Marie Vrina-Nikolov; National Gallery Director Yaroslava Bubnova; writer Maria Kassimova-Moisset.

Later on Thursday, French Institute in Bulgaria will host the cultural event Balkan Times, a musical journey through the Balkans, presented by Ina Kancheva with musicians from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkiye.