Opening address of Ambassador Rokas Bernotas at the Ministerial Colloquy of the European Ministers responsible for cultural affairs

Dear Mr. Chairman, respected Ministers, Deputy Secretary General, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to open this colloquy dedicated to the new role of the Ministers of Culture in initiating intercultural dialogue to welcome the delegations in the name of the CM’s Deputies and in my capacity as the chairman of the Working Group on Multicultural and Inter-religious Dialogue.

The number of Ministers attending the colloquy is a good testing of the interest for the Council of Europe and its statutory goals, as well as for the work Council of Europe is doing on this specific issue of intercultural dialogue and conflict prevention.

Council of Europe, being a pan-European organization, has been preoccupied with the issues of cultural pluralism and dialogue since long ago. However after the tragic events of September 11, just before Lithuania took over Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers, the need to reinforce this work had to be reassessed. While chairing the Committee of Ministers Lithuania gave utmost importance and support to the Multicultural and Inter-religious dialogue. By the decision of the Committee of Ministers this was reaffirmed as one of the means to tackle the roots of terrorism.

The ad hoc working group was established to develop the inventory of the Council of Europe activities promoting Multicultural and inter-religious dialogue in European societies and with the neighbours of Europe. This issue was one of the issues discussed during the 110^th session of the Committee of Ministers in Vilnius, as well as during the informal fire-side meeting on the eve of the session, to which Secretary General of the Council of Europe had invited Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League. This dialogue with Arab League continues on the secretariat level, practical relations were also established with the Organization of Islamic Conference. These are important steps for external dialogue with the neighbours of the Council of Europe.

However it is also of tremendous importance to develop internal dialogue within European societies. Working towards peaceful and unified Europe internal cultural dialogue is a key to understand and manage delicate situations, be they political, social, economic or cultural, so that no community would feel estranged by the dominating communities.

As a Lithuanian I am proud to say that Cultural diversity and tolerance has been inherent in our traditions and history. Being on the crossroad of cultures, civilizations and trade routes, Lithuania was inhabited by different ethnic and religious groups. Our capital Vilnius can be a symbol of their peaceful coexistence. Vilnius was for the first time mentioned in historical sources as a capital of Lithuania in the letters of our great duke Gediminas to the Pope John XXII inviting artisans of different professions to come and settle in Lithuania and guaranteeing their right to practice their religions freely. Ever since then Vilnius became a multicultural city where Polish, Jewish, Russian, Karaite, Tatar, Bielorussian, Ukrainian cultures flourished and prayer houses of different religions were established.

I am very happy to see, that starting with the political impulse given the Committee of Ministers, the work continues now in the Ministries directly concerned with cultural cooperation. I hope that after adopting action plans on national level local authorities will be taking over this initiative to put it into practice.

Through your meeting and discussions, means and methods should be devised to make this dream - culture for peace and development - a tangible “revolution” of mentalities, paving the way for the new generations of Europeans.

Today you are invited to give your contribution to the three important sessions. As conflicts are part of our history – past and present – and will surely be ignited in the future by use, misuse and abuse of culture, it is extremely useful to start discussion by recalling specific cases, and reminding how prevention, wise management and post conflict reconciliation have or have not taken place. As this is the case with Lithuania, history can definitely give positive examples of tolerance and of peaceful coexistence.

Having discussed how culture and conflict are interrelated, and how their comprehension backs our wishes to find sustainable solutions, the second working session will help to reconsider diversity not only as an element of the European constitutive identity - to be recognized as such - but also to recommend it as value and a positive asset thanks to which dialogue is made possible, what dialogue means and how to integrate it as policy fuel.

The third session will allow us all to enter into the raison d’être and the final political scope of our meeting, i.e. how to implement cultural dialogue in practice, to use cultural diversity as a key means to promote, implement and show dialogue in action, into a “cultural” good governance and into a modern way of deal with superstitions and extremisms.

This exercise and process - to be followed by regular meetings at your and CM’s level - will lead us all towards guidelines which will nourish the decision making and guidance bodies, in all our member States and inside our Organisation, which will integrate your advices into its political intergovernmental working programme.

A declaration on intercultural dialogue and conflict prevention to be adopted afterwards has to become a modern instrument, in order to share - on a pan-European level - a consolidated common cadre de reference – political and ethical - and to implement future cultural action: permanent round table, networks, projects, exchanges, good practices, administrative reform, etc.

Speaking on behalf of the Committee of Ministers, I am pleased to assure you all that the CM follows your present participation with the greatest interest and attention. It will support and contribute to your further efforts for our common goal.

I wish you all success in this very important work.