A two-day international conference on intercultural dialogue organised in Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana, by the European Commission and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia in collaboration with the University of Primorska, was opened today with speeches by the Slovenian Minister of Culture Vasko Simoniti, European Commissioners Jan Figel’ and Janez Potočnik, and the Ambassador of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, Marko Peljhan. The opening event of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, the organisation of which was entrusted to Slovenia as the presiding country of the EU Council, will be concluded tomorrow at an evening ceremony. Speakers at that time will be the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Danilo Tϋrk; the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša; and the philosopher Edvard Kovač. The purpose of the conference is to present intercultural dialogue as a precondition for establishing a diversified yet tolerant society, enriched by its diversity, and to illustrate cooperation between different cultures and national identities, between the population’s majorities and minorities, with examples of good practice, which will be presented within the framework of certain satellite activities of the conference.

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