Foreign Minister at the opening of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 in Ljubljana

"The European Union is growing and its internal cultural diversity along with it. In the era of globalisation, the co-existence of different cultures is also increasing worldwide. If Europe is to remain a region of peace, stability and security, daily dialogue beyond cultural and religious boundaries is simply indispensable," said Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik at the official inauguration today of the Year of Intercultural Dialogue proclaimed by the European Commission. "For Europe as a continent of diversity the dialogue between cultures both internally and externally is a daily necessity for survival. Only in this way can we maintain our openness and safeguard our freedom."

"We Europeans have become more mobile and flexible - in recreation, the choice of education or the opportunities in the European employment market. We are becoming increasingly aware of the diversity of cultures, languages and religions around us. The EU Year of Intercultural Dialogue offers the opportunity to further develop this European core competence with our partners in the EU and throughout the world. In doing so we must make a particular effort to address young people and women, whose role is often taken too little into account," said the Foreign Minister.

The successful integration of immigrants depended in the first instance on the legal framework and opportunities for social, economic and political participation in our society, continued Plassnik, but open dialogue and the willingness to actively integrate were also important components of integration policy. "Intercultural and interreligious dialogue in Austria and Europe can also help to prevent radicalisation and shape a European Islamic identity," said the Foreign Minister.

The Foreign Minister supported numerous intercultural projects in Austria, including the conference "Islamic Youth and Women in the West: Source of Hope or Concern", which thus made an important contribution to successful integration.

Plassnik referred in this context to the need for knowledge of foreign languages for intercultural dialogue and stated that the "Salzburg Trilogy" organised by the Foreign Ministry would this year have languages as its focus.

"The shaping of a shared Europe is above all in the hands of the young generation. The dialogue between cultures will be successful in the long term only if we manage to actively involve the young, for whom cultural diversity and colour offer particularly vast opportunities for the future. Flexibility, tolerance and courage to accommodate this diversity are required to confront the challenges of the present and future," stressed Plassnik. The Foreign Ministry would therefore focus in 2008 especially on the integration and participation of young Muslims in Europe, continued the Foreign Minister, who will be taking part on 15 January in a high-level political dialogue "Alliance of Civilisations" in Madrid. This dialogue aims at defining projects by the Alliance, particularly in regard to young people and the media.

Many of the activities fostered by Austrian Development Cooperation and Cooperation with Eastern Europe (ADC) enhance intercultural dialogue and promote greater understanding of other cultures:

• a fair play action programme for Euro 2008 and initiatives such as "red card for racism" emphasise co-existence;
• encounter and cultural programmes - from interreligious services to school workshops and lecture series - will help to build bridges between cultures;
• the "Experiencing Europe" project will give young Serbian academics the possibility of gaining practical experience in Austrian companies and organisations and of finding out more about an EU Member State;
• support for the Skomrahi Festivals in Skopje, which focuses on intercultural cooperation in the theatre and every year brings together young people interested in culture from all over the world.

Referring to the international Middle East women’s conference in May 2007 and the women’s symposium to support Serbian-Kosovan dialogue in November 2007, the Foreign Minister said: "Austria has managed internationally in the last few months to stress the importance of women in dialogue and conflict resolution processes and to promote their presence in intercultural dialogue and at political negotiating tables." These initiatives would be continued - at the media seminar in Vienna at the end of January with journalists from the Middle East and Austria, for example.

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