In his speech, State Secretary Božinović supported the activities of the Alliance of Civilizations and mentioned the participation of the Republic of Croatia in the last two years as member of the Group of Friends of Alliance. He mentioned that the Government of the Republic of Croatia adopted the National Programme for the Alliance of Civilizations for 2010 – 2012 on the basis of which it will contribute with its own experiences to the realisation of the main objectives of the Alliance through activities in four main areas: education, youth, media and migrations thus improving understanding and cooperation between peoples of different cultures and religions.
The Republic of Croatia also supported efforts invested into the adoption of the Regional Strategy for the Mediterranean which is a continuation of the Regional Strategy for South East Europe, the first strategy of this kind adopted by the Alliance of Civilizations.
He added that the Republic of Croatia is also supporting other interregional initiatives aimed at promoting inter-ethnic, inter-cultural and inter-religious understanding and tolerance.
In the continuation of his speech at the Forum, State Secretary Božinović stressed the importance of cooperation between peoples of different cultures and religions thus preventing further polarisation and occurrence of extremism in the world. Stressing the importance of multilateralism and respect of international norms, rule of law and human rights, he highly praised the High Representative of the United Nations for the Alliance of Civilizations and former President of the Portuguese Republic Jorge Sampaio for his commitment to the achievement of the main objectives of the Alliance of Civilizations.