The State Institute for Culturе Participated in a Public Lecture-Discussion Dedicated to Cultural Relations between Bulgaria and France
On February 7, 2025, in partnership with the State Institute for Culturе under the Minister of Foreign Affairs (SIC), a public lecture-discussion “Cultivating influence: Cultural diplomacy between France and Bulgaria” was held in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The event was organized by the Institute of Balkan Studies with the Center for Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBCT-BAS) and is the first in a series of events dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans, which are carried out in implementation of the project “Cultural Diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Achievements, Problems, Challenges for the Future”, funded by the Scientific Research Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The Director of the the State Institute for Culturе, Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, welcomed the attendees and shared highlights from the Institute’s program and its activities is in the field of cultural diplomacy. She emphasized the successful cooperation between the State Institute for Culturе, the Embassy of France in Bulgaria and the French Cultural Institute and gave as an example joint initiatives such as the exhibition of the Bulgarian artist Zhivko Sedlarki at the “Mission” gallery in 2024, which marked the 145th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and France. Zhivko Sedlarski himself and the curator of the exhibition, Albena Nenkova, were also present at the discussion.
Special guests and speakers were H.E. Joel Meyer, Ambassador of the Republic of France to Bulgaria and Mr. Luc Levy, Advisor for Cooperation and Cultural Activities and Director of the French Institute in Sofia. They presented the evolution of the French concept of cultural diplomacy and pointed out specific initiatives and individuals who have contributed most to the cultural exchange between the two countries, including Julia Kristeva, Hristo Yavashev-Christo and Sylvie Vartan. Special attention was also paid to the challenges facing cultural diplomacy in the contemporary world.
The Vice-President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member Prof. Dr. Evdokia Pasheva, who opened the forum, and the Director of the IBCT-BAS, Prof. Dr. Rumyana Preshlenova, also welcomed the attendees. The initiator and host of the event was Senior Asst. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, Scientific Coordinator of the IBCT-BAS and Project Manager.