Ambassador Kaljurand: The role of cultural diplomacy will continue growing

11.01.2013

In her keynote speech at the ICD Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy in the USA yesterday Ambassador Marina Kaljurand focused on practical examples of culture as part of diplomacy. „Culture in its wide varieties is an excellent tool for fostering mutual understanding,“ she stressed.

Kaljurand described a selection of activities and events which have succeeded to create and sustain a positive image of Estonia. She noted that it is difficult to attract attention in this era of information overload.  „You have to be creative, genuine, interesting – and brief about it,“ she added.

She finished her presentation with an independent short film about Estonia by two young Canadians, stressing that everyone can be a cultural ambassador of a country. „Culture does not have borders or limits,“ she concluded.

The Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy in the USA "Options on the Table": Soft Power, Intercultural Dialogue and the Future of US Foreign Policy” hosted by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy and Johns Hopkins University took place on January 9th – 11th  in Washington, DC.