World leaders attend Antalya Diplomacy Forum

ANKARA

Heads of state and government, dozens of foreign ministers, academics and think tanks from across the world will be in Antalya to attend the annual diplomacy forum, which will focus on the role of diplomacy in the age of conflicts.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum will meet for the third time on March 1-3 in the Mediterranean coastal city under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and on the initiative of the Foreign Ministry.

The theme of this year’s forum is “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil,” which obviously refers to the ongoing wars in Europe between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.

The forum is expected to be inaugurated by President Erdoğan on March 1. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will also address the opening ceremony of the forum.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Djibuti, Guinea Bissau, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kosovo, Turkish Cyprus, Madagascar, the Central African Republic and Somalia will be presented at the level of president at the forum.

Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban will be among the attendees, along with the prime ministers of Burundi, Moldov and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (IKRG). Foreign ministers from more than 40 countries will join the ADF. They include Azerbaijan, Albania, the UAE, Armenia, Palestine, Switzerland, Kuwait, Uganda and Sudan, etc.

The forum will observe participation from some regional and international organizations, including the Arab League, OSCE, Council of Europe, Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and the Organization of Turkic States.

Special focus on Gaza tragedy

During the three-day forum, 52 panels will be held on various global and regional issues. A special panel will be devoted to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East as a result of Israel’s indiscriminate, unproportioned offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza.

The foreign ministers of the Contact Group, which was established by prominent regional countries at the joint summit of the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, will discuss their efforts to bring about an end to the ongoing tragedy in Gaza.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh Maliki, Egyptian Foreign Minister Semih Shukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan are expected to attend the panel.