The conference was organised by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry and the EU mission in Hungary within the EU's "European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, 2008" initiative. The initiative was adopted by the European Parliament in 2006 in order to promote dialogue between the cultures of the enlarged 27-nation bloc.
Addressing the event House Speaker Katalin Szili stressed that interactions among national cultures within Europe were maintaining tolerance among people, which is one way to live in peace and ensure stability in Europe.
Another speaker, Foreign Minister Kinga Goncz pointed out that European values, tolerance and freedom were about accepting the diversity of identities.
Former Hungarian Academy President Ferenc Glatz said the European identity should be resting on the three main attributes of open-mindedness, solidarity and cultural diversity.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
