The 10th General Assembly of the Global Public Diplomacy Network (GPDNet) was held in Doha, Qatar
The State Institute for Culture under the Minister of Foreign Affairs participated in the 10th General Assembly of the Global Public Diplomacy Network (GPDNet), which was held from 24 to 27 February at the Katara Cultural Village in Doha, the State of Qatar. The international forum brought together over 80 representatives from 27 countries and provided an opportunity for important discussions and exchange of ideas and experience in the field of cultural and public diplomacy.
The State Institute for Culture of Bulgaria has been a full member of the GPDNet network since 2021. The opening of the Assembly from the Bulgarian side was attended by the Director of the Institute, Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Qatar, H.E. Plamen Delev, Martin Krastev – Attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Doha, Senior Specialist from the State Institute for Culture – Nia Tabakova and the journalist from the Bulgarian National Television Evgenia Atanasova, who was specially invited to participate in key media discussions and presentations.
The event began with a panel discussion on the topic "Public Diplomacy: New Trends and Challenges", which provided valuable guidance for more effectively navigating the evolving landscape of public diplomacy. The panel aimed to present GPDNet members with new knowledge and strategies for addressing global changes and challenges in the field. The moderator was Ms. Mariam Al Saad, Secretary General of GPDNet, and the panelists were: Dr. Nicholas Cull - Professor of Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California, Dr. Yasushi Watanabe - Anthropologist and Professor at Keio University, Japan and Dr. Vanessa Tinker - Lecturer in International Peace and Conflict Studies, Collegium Civitas, Poland.
During the first day of the Assembly, Qatar’s nomination for the presidency of GPDNet for the period 2025-2028 was unanimously approved. “We look forward to continuing our work with our partners to drive innovation in public diplomacy and increase the impact of the network,” said H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, General Manager of the Qatar Foundation and President of GPDNet.
The second day of the Assembly began with proposals to update the GPDNet charter and improve the governance of the organization. In a separate panel, the Director of the State Institute for Culture, Ms. Yoveva-Dimitrova, presented the joint initiatives of the Institute with GPDNet in the past 2024, such as the international conference on “Cultural Diplomacy and the Balkans: Achievements and Challenges in the Modern Era”, in which Ms. Al-Saad was invited to participate as a lecturer, and the presentation of the international photographic exhibition “National Clothing: A Source of Pride and Heritage”, organized by GPDNet and the State Institute for Culture at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. The Director of the State Institute for Culture held official talks with the Director General of GPDNet, Ms. Mariam Al-Saad, as well as with representatives from Albania, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Tajikistan and Turkey with the aim of establishing mutual cooperation, expanding partnerships and sharing good practices.
A media workshop on the topic "Media Impact: Building a Positive Environment for a Global Shared Future" was also held within the Assembly, which brought together 15 authoritative journalists from around the world, with Evgenia Atanasova participating from Bulgaria. The aim of the initiative was to develop innovative strategies for intercultural communication for the next decade of GPDNet, which would mark key moments for global public diplomacy and cultural dialogue.
During the last day of the Assembly, within the framework of a more informal program, the Bulgarian Mursal tea (Sideritis scardica) was presented. All participants in the event received a sample of the tea, along with a brochure in English describing its history and benefits. Special protocol gifts from the State Institute for Culture were presented to H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, General Manager of Qatar and President of GPDNet, who expressed satisfaction with the excellent partnership, as well as Ms. Mariam Al Saad, Secretary General of GPDNet.