The opening of the Conference was followed by a meeting titled “Culture and Conflict” during which Deputy Secretary General of the European Council Maud de Boer-Buquicchio emphasised the visionary quality of the initiative started at the Dubrovnik meeting in 2001, and announced the Conference of European Council Ministers to be held in Opatija, 20-22 October 2003. The opening speech was delivered by Minister Vujić, who emphasised that the informal Conference of Ministers held in Dubrovnik, March 2001, tried to establish boundaries between cultural conflicts that are productive and those that may result in violence. Today's declaration which has been discussed at this Conference tries to preserve the uniqueness of different cultures and their different manifestations in the name of universal values.
The Declaration on Intercultural Dialogue and Prevention of Conflict is expected to be adopted at the Conference of European Council Ministers this October in Opatija, which will be a recognition to Minister Vujić and the Croatian Ministry of Culture.