Summit hails new era in diplomacy
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 08, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - As the second forum of the Alliance of Civilizations ended yesterday in Istanbul, the focus was on regional conflicts and sustainable solutions such as educating youth in a way that is open to intercultural dialogue.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said in the closing news conference for the forum, a meeting promoting understanding between the Western and Islamic worlds, that people do not want crises but solutions. "International society accepted the main principles of the alliance," he said, adding that focusing on regional cooperation, including actors like youth, women, academics and businesspeople, is a significant step toward removing polarizations and divisions between cultures.
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said all Turks should be proud of hosting the forum, which doubled in attendance since its first gathering in Madrid last year. Around 1,500 participants and 1,200 press members attended the forum, which incorporates 84 countries and 17 international regional organizations, Babacan said. The third forum will take place in Brazil next year, he added.
Moratinos said the presence of U.S. President Barack Obama in Istanbul and the attendance at the forum of incoming NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen were crucial in terms of deciding how the new 21st-century diplomacy would be shaped. "The new diplomacy in the world will be soft, moderate, smart and ready to solve problems," he said.
Jorge Sampaio, high representative president of the Alliance of Civilizations, said the initiative to "restore trust and rebuild bridges," a part of the Euro-Mediterranean project, aimed to restore peace in the region in the wake of the Gaza crisis.
Panels were held focusing on areas of conflict such as the Middle East. In one titled "The Cost of Conflict in the Middle East," Amr Musa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, said yesterday that a peaceful solution could come only if Israel withdraws from Gaza.
Israel’s Istanbul Consul General Mordehai Amiha, who was among the listeners, said there should be an Israeli counterpart in the conference where the problems of Palestine and Israel are discussed.
Egemen Bağış, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, said at the same conference that, if asked, Turkey would be willing to mediate among the parties in the Gaza conflict. "Turkey, operating as a bridge between East and West, is close to the West," he said. "But to make the bridge stronger, it should strengthen its pier in the East, too."
Official notes
Jan Figel, European commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth said that Turkey’s promotion of, and participation in, education and youth activity programs is part of its process of modernization. Figel told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review at the Alliance of Civilizations forum on Monday that Turkey participates in the EU commission’s cultural program through an exchange of culture, communication, artists and mobility of arts. While praising Turkey’s participation in cultural dialogue and its progress in terms of education, Figel advised that Turkey must deepen its focus on the quality of education. He said the quality of teaching needs to be boosted by focusing on the content and structure of what is being taught. Commenting on Turkey’s progress, Figel said: "I think Turkey is on the path toward promotion of knowledge to society."
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said all Turks should be proud of hosting the forum, which doubled in attendance since its first gathering in Madrid last year. Around 1,500 participants and 1,200 press members attended the forum, which incorporates 84 countries and 17 international regional organizations, Babacan said. The third forum will take place in Brazil next year, he added.
Moratinos said the presence of U.S. President Barack Obama in Istanbul and the attendance at the forum of incoming NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen were crucial in terms of deciding how the new 21st-century diplomacy would be shaped. "The new diplomacy in the world will be soft, moderate, smart and ready to solve problems," he said.
Jorge Sampaio, high representative president of the Alliance of Civilizations, said the initiative to "restore trust and rebuild bridges," a part of the Euro-Mediterranean project, aimed to restore peace in the region in the wake of the Gaza crisis.
Panels were held focusing on areas of conflict such as the Middle East. In one titled "The Cost of Conflict in the Middle East," Amr Musa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, said yesterday that a peaceful solution could come only if Israel withdraws from Gaza.
Israel’s Istanbul Consul General Mordehai Amiha, who was among the listeners, said there should be an Israeli counterpart in the conference where the problems of Palestine and Israel are discussed.
Egemen Bağış, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, said at the same conference that, if asked, Turkey would be willing to mediate among the parties in the Gaza conflict. "Turkey, operating as a bridge between East and West, is close to the West," he said. "But to make the bridge stronger, it should strengthen its pier in the East, too."
Official notes
Jan Figel, European commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth said that Turkey’s promotion of, and participation in, education and youth activity programs is part of its process of modernization. Figel told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review at the Alliance of Civilizations forum on Monday that Turkey participates in the EU commission’s cultural program through an exchange of culture, communication, artists and mobility of arts. While praising Turkey’s participation in cultural dialogue and its progress in terms of education, Figel advised that Turkey must deepen its focus on the quality of education. He said the quality of teaching needs to be boosted by focusing on the content and structure of what is being taught. Commenting on Turkey’s progress, Figel said: "I think Turkey is on the path toward promotion of knowledge to society."