A public discussion on “Cultivating influence: cultural diplomacy between France and Bulgaria” was held on 7 February in the “Ivan Geshov” Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. This was the first in a series of events on cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans organized by the Institute of Balkan Studies with Center for Thracology at BAS (IBSCT-BAS) in partnership with the State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria (SIC) (in implementation of the project “Cultural Diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st Century: Achievements, Problems, Challenges for the Future”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of MES).
The Vice-President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Corr. Memb. DSc Evdokia Pasheva opened the forum and greeted the participants and guests – representatives of the diplomatic corps and the cultural sector, established and young scholars, PhD students and students. Prof. Dr. Roumiana Preshlenova, Director of IBSCT-BAS, also welcomed the participants. The initiator and host of the event was Sen. Asst. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, scientific coordinator of IBSCT-BAS and project leader.
Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, the Director of SIC, emphasized the fruitful cooperation between the Institute she headed and IBSCT-BAS in recent years, the most vivid expression of which was the international conference “Cultural Diplomacy and the Balkans: Achievements and Challenges in the Present Time” held on 23 October 2024 at the National Gallery.
Special guests and speakers were H.E. Mr. Joël Meyer, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Bulgaria and Mr. Luc Lévy, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Activities and Director of the French Institute in Sofia. They presented the evolution of the French concept of cultural diplomacy, pointed out specific initiatives and personalities who had contributed most to the promotion of the French language and culture in Bulgaria and of Bulgarian culture in France, and noted the challenges facing cultural diplomacy in the modern world.
The event was held in the context of the 60th anniversary of the first agreement between BAS and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The bilateral agreement between the two institutions is expected to be renewed later this year, providing new opportunities for scientific collaboration.
