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International youth forum promoting EU-Russia dialogue opens in Brussels

Head of the Russian Science and Culture Center Vera Bunina noted that the aim of the forum is "to improve mutual understanding and promote objective information about Russia, as well as to develop approaches to building a united future of Russia and Europe"

BRUSSELS, October 27. /TASS/. The first International Youth Forum "Brussels Dialogue", aimed at developing contacts between Russia and the EU, opened in Brussels on Saturday.

"In the current situation of crisis and uncertainty, we need to intensify our dialogue instead of decreasing it. We need to develop more dialogue platforms similar to this forum. It is becoming more and more obvious today that the attempts to rely on outdates clich·s that aim to resurrect the ghosts of the Cold War are pointless," Russian Ambassador to Belgium Alexander Tokovinin said during the opening session of the forum.

Members of Russian and European youth organizations are taking part in the forum, along with representatives of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and the Association of Volunteer Centers.

Head of the Russian Science and Culture Center Vera Bunina informed TASS that the aim of the forum is "to develop dialogue between Russian and EU youth communities, improve mutual understanding and promote objective information about Russia, as well as to develop approaches to building a united future of Russia and Europe." "The motto of Brussels Dialogue is "Think. Act. Create", its target audience is 15 or older, that is, high school students, university students, young professionals. We have not set a cutoff age. Anyone who is young at heart can take part in the forum, because in Europe, youth is a broad term," she noted.

The forum consists of two platforms: a policy platform, which includes four panel discussions and a plenary session with the participation of experts, youth and public organizations; and a cultural platform, which includes workshops on dancing, theater, cuisine, journalism, design, etc., along with open lessons of the Russian language.

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