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5. KAS-BSEC Workshop für Jungdiplomaten

5. KAS-BSEC Workshop for Young Diplomats on “DEVELOPING CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN THE BLACK SEA REGION”

21-23 March 2022, Thessaloniki

The 5th edition of the workshop for Young Diplomats from the BSEC Member States on “Developing Cultural Diplomacy in the Black Sea Region”, jointly organized by Konrad Adenauer Foundation Turkey (KAS) and BSEC PERMIS, was held on 21-23 March 2022 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

In their welcoming speeches the Director of KAS Turkey Mr. Walter GLOS and PERMIS Secretary General, Ambassador Lazar COMANESCU the importance of the Workshop as a precious “investment” for the future and a most valuable vehicle for promoting the spirit of friendship and good neighborliness between young diplomats from the BSEC Member States. Ambassador COMANESCU used the opportunity to express his appreciation to KAS Turkey and personally to Mr. GLOS for their cooperation of this very important event, which became a flagship project for both organizations.

On behalf of the Municipality of Thessaloniki Ms. Maria KARAGIANNI, Deputy Mayor of Tourism and Culture, welcomed the participants and wished them successful work. At the same time, she touched upon Thessaloniki nomination as a “City of Gastronomy” for 2022 by UNESCO and invite the participants to explore cities culinary.

The workshop provided an excellent opportunity to emphasize the importance of regional cooperation among the future foreign policy decision-makers in the Black Sea area, while it helped participants to meet with their counterparts from other BSEC Member States. Along with the representatives from KAS and BSEC PERMIS, senior officials and high level experts from the host country, from the region as well as representatives from the Centre for Cultural Diplomacy Studies (CCDS), the General Directorate for Education and Cultural of the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of BSEC (PABSEC), the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB), the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS), ADA University, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency as well as the Consul General of Germany in Thessaloniki added high valuable speeches to the workshop.

On the last day of the workshop, a simulation game on a CSO Meeting on “How to Effectively Promote the Regional Cooperation in Cultural Sector in the Black Sea Area” took place. The participants took active part in the workshop and seized the opportunity for networking with their colleagues from the different BSEC Member States. They were guided through a moderated exchange of views where they were invited to propose practical ways of enhancing cooperation in culture among the BSEC Member States, making full use of all instruments, policies and best practices presented, analysed and discussed during the previous sessions by the keynote speakers.