The latest large public panel entitled “Culture and Diplomacy” organized by Zaprokul was held for the first time in the European Capital of Culture, Novi Sad, in the Matica Srpska Gallery.
Through the prism of historical experience, recommendations from the past and a review of current relations in foreign policy, the audience was guided by panel moderator Dr. Aleksandra Kolaković, a historian who prepared the topic “Culture and Diplomacy” in the magazine Kultura.
Dr. Tijana Palkovljević Bugarski, manager of the Matica Srpska Gallery, thanked Zaprokul and the Kultura magazine for the unique opportunity to exchange experiences and encourage cooperation on the common strategic goal of all cultural institutions – the presentation of national culture in the world. On this occasion, Bugarski pointed out that “through masterpieces, cultural diplomacy speaks most beautifully and best about its identity and country.”
The director of the “Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture” Foundation, Nemanja Milenković, shared his experiences with the gathered public, pointing out the importance of breeding culture and a city: “Thanks to the experience of working on the European Capital of Culture project, today we can say that Novi Sad is equal to culture. ”
Today, cultural diplomacy is largely based on the cultural diplomacy that was once conducted by Yugoslavia, pointed out Dr. Slobodan Selinić, from the Institute for Recent History of Serbia. “Yugoslavia was aware of cultural diplomacy and its importance, as well as the importance of representing the country in the world.”
Dr. Dragan Trailović, research associate from the Institute for Political Studies, continued by pointing out the important fact that culture has always been a part of soft power, that the importance of hard and soft power lies in their collaboration, and that it is culture that is an important driver of dialogue and the establishment of good foreign policy and diplomatic relations.
The participants of this panel concluded that it is important to exchange experiences because only through public dialogue can we reach the positioning of cultural institutions as the backbone of Serbia’s cultural diplomacy.
