site.btaWestern Balkans Delegates Gather in Sofia and Plovdiv for Cultural Diplomacy Seminar

The State Institute for Culture at the Minister of Foreign Affairs is organizing a working visit to Bulgaria mottoed "Rethinking Cultural Cooperation in the Western Balkans". The event is taking place in Sofia and Plovdiv on October 6-10 and is funded by the Bulgarian Development Aid Programme, the organizing team said.

Delegations from Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of North Macedonia, and Montenegro are participating in the seminar. Its programme focuses on breaking down inter-institutional barriers, fostering interoperability and developing durable cross-border networks. The agenda features lectures and presentations on cultural diplomacy, networking opportunities and best practices in cultural management. The participants will visit key cultural institutions in Sofia and Plovdiv.

The primary objective of the forum is to enhance multilateral engagement and strategic alignment among cultural institutions in the context of advancing European integration. The programme prioritizes tangible actions through established platforms like the EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), positioning the region as a focal point for contemporary European cultural diplomacy.