site.btaRoundtable to Discuss Cultural Diplomacy and Young People in Context of Bulgarian-Serbian Relations

A roundtable on cultural diplomacy and young people as a stepping stone in the development of Bulgaria's relations with Serbia will be held in Vranje, Southern Serbia on September 28. The event is planned under a project which is being implemented by the Bulgarian-Serbian Centre (BSC) in Vranje on funding under the Development Aid Programme of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia Petko Doykov, Bulgarian Consul General in Nis Dimitar Tsanev, Serbian Minister of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue Tomislav Zigmanov and Serbian Assistant Minister of Tourism and Youth Ivana Antonijević have confirmed their participation in the conference, the BSC said. Representatives of the local community of Vranje and headmasters and students from partner schools involved in the project are also expected to attend the discussion.

Interviewed exclusively for BTA's BG World Service, BSC Chairman Darko Anačkov said the participants in the roundtable will discuss the importance of cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria in the field of culture, art, tourism and education. Anačkov quoted Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova as telling him at a recent meeting that everything begins from culture, because culture is a sound basis for building mutual confidence and understanding between nations.

The BSC chairman went on to say: "The mission of cultural diplomacy is to give each country a chance to present its culture in the best possible way while also learning about the cultures of other countries and respecting differences. The Bulgarian cultural heritage holds an important place among the cultures of the European Union."