Specialized Course on Cultural Diplomacy Brought Together Experts from Various Institutions in Sofia
On December 1st and 2nd, 2025, a specialized training course on cultural diplomacy was held in Sofia, initiated and organized by the State Institute for Culture and the Diplomatic Institute under the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is being held for a second consecutive year and aims to increase professional qualifications by systematizing specialized knowledge, creating an expert environment for discussions and improving practical skills in the field of cultural diplomacy.
At the opening of the course, the directors of the Diplomatic Institute and the State Institute for Culture, Ms. Tanya Mihaylova and Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, noted the joint efforts to contribute to active and sustainable cultural diplomacy, highlighting the development of both institutions over the past two decades and the growing importance of the cultural and public toolkit in contemporary diplomatic practice. This year, the State Institute for Culture celebrates twenty years since its establishment, emphasized Snezhana Yoveva, and this is also a time to take stock of the Institute’s role and contribution to policy-making for building a positive image of our country around the world – through various programs and projects. For her part, Ms. Mihaylova emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of cultural diplomacy, emphasizing the importance of the effective use of cultural tools for dialogue between states, especially in periods of crisis and conflict.
The purpose of the training was to present to the participants the main directions in the contemporary practice of public and cultural diplomacy. The course was attended by experts from a number of Bulgarian municipal structures, including Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo and Stara Zagora, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the Burgas 2032 Foundation and the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation, as well as representatives of the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO.
The main focus of the discussions was the topic of sustainable development in cultural cooperation around the world and how to improve communication at the intersectoral and institutional levels. Among the topics presented within the two-day program were the historical models of cultural diplomacy in the Western world, the inter-civilizational dimensions of cultural diplomacy, regional cultural policy as an instrument of foreign policy and various international programs, platforms and networks for cultural cooperation. The State Institute for Culture is a member of important organizations for international cultural cooperation, including the European Union Network of Cultural Institutes – EUNIC and the Global Public Diplomacy Network – GPDNet, whose goals and activities were presented by Nia Tabakova and Yavor Koynakov from the State Institute for Culture.
The lecturers in the training were Ambassador Dimitar Mihaylov, Ms. Mirena Staneva - former Executive Director of the National Culture Fund and representative of the Regional Center for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Southeast Europe, Mr. Viktor Yankov - expert from the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation, Ms. Marina Vladimirova - Chief Expert from the Diplomatic Institute, and the overall moderation during the two days was skillfully and analytically led by Mr. Yavor Koynakov from the State Institute for Culture.
At the end of the two-day program, in the hall of the "Mission" gallery, Ms. Yoveva-Dimitrova and Mr. Yordan Stoichkov, Head of Department at the Diplomatic Institute, awarded certificates for successfully completed courses. The event was an opportunity for attendees to exchange ideas and good practices from extensive experience in the field of public and cultural activities, both at the regional, national and international levels.