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Cultural Diplomacy, News

Rijeka and Galway – European Capitals of Culture 2020 presented in Rome

Rijeka and Galway, the cities that will hold the title of European Capital of Culture in 2020, will be presented at the 10th Festival of Diplomacy in Rome on Thursday, 24 October.

After Paris and Ljubljana, the series of international presentations of the ECoC project in Rijeka resumes today in Rome. The cultural programme of the ECoC project, as well as Rijeka as a cultural tourism destination, will be presented in Rome. Presented alongside Rijeka is Galway, a city that will also hold the title of European Capital of Culture next year.

Vojko Obersnel, Mayor of Rijeka, and Irena Kregar Šegota, Partnership and Communications Director of Rijeka 2020, travelled to Rome for the occasion. They will present the 2020 programme in Rijeka to around 100 reporters, members of the diplomatic corps and the interested public. In the conference hall of Spazio Europa, the building that houses the representations of the European Commission and the European Parliament in Rome, representatives of Rijeka will announce over 600 events in 2020 that will be organised in cooperation with 250 cultural institutions and organisations from 40 countries in Europe and the rest of the world.

As part of the presentation in Rome, the eye-catching promotional films “Port of Diversity” by the Filmerija production company that portrays Rijeka as a “port of diversity” and a meeting place of diversity, and the tourism film “I Miss You” by Balduči Film, which recently premiered in Rijeka.

During the visit to Rome, Irena Kregar Šegota will give a lecture today on the tourism potentials of the European Capital of Culture and the building of the cultural and tourism image of the city to postgraduate students of tourism at the Roma Tre University.

During the Irish portion of the ECoC programme presentation, Chiara Popplewell from the Embassy of Ireland and Marilyn Gaughan-Reddan, Director of the Galway 2020 Cultural Programme, will address the audience.

The Festival of Diplomacy has been held in Rome since 2009, and since there are 137 accredited embassies in Italy, as well as 78 in the Holy See and 73 in San Marino, in addition to the large international community residing here, Rome is considered a hub for diplomatic affairs. This year’s Festival deals with three topical issues: management challenges, the approach to innovations and sustainable development.

The Embassies of Croatia and Ireland are co-organisers of the joint Rijeka and Galway presentation at the Festival of Diplomacy in Rome, with support from the European Commission Representation in Rome.