The Seminar on Education & Protection of Cultural Heritage in South Eastern Europe

March 2, 2001

The Seminar on Education & Protection of Cultural Heritage in South Eastern Europe, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the cooperation of the National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA), will be held on March 22 (Thu) and 23 (Fri) in Tokyo (United Nations University).
The seminar expects the attendance of approximately 50 people. They include those who are from or involved in South Eastern Europe, the G8 countries, and such international organizations as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Council of Europe, as well as experts inside and outside Japan.
At the forthcoming seminar, which is the follow-up of the High Level Conference on South Eastern Europe, held in Tokyo last May, the participants will seek measures to achieve "Harmony among Ethnic Groups" through education and the protection of cultural heritage in the Southeast European region, whose importance was confirmed at the previous conference as well as at the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit.
This year marks the beginning of "a Decade of Japan-Europe Cooperation", advocated by Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, and the seminar will be held as one of the concrete measures for the cooperation. This seminar is also part of the "Initiatives for Dialogue among Civilizations", advocated recently by Foreign Minister Kono.

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