Mr. President, 
Mr. Director-general, Your Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me distinct pleasure to participate at this important conference. I would first like to congratulate you Mr. President and the Director-general for taking the initiative in this matter. This meeting grants us the possibility to take stock of the opportunities we have to strengthen the cooperation, which exists between our countries and our organizations.

It is well known that this meeting forms an integral part of the series of regional conferences organized upon the initiative of the UN and UNESCO in different regions of our Earth for the past three years. New York, Vilnius, Paris and now Ohrid play host to this conference. Our special thanks go to Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura for his perseverance, over the past years, as he silently but firmly plays on our conscience: maintaining that the dialogue should not only materialize between representatives of different religions, but politicians also have an obligation to articulate their opinions on the future cooperation between civilizations. 

The essence of my contribution could be paraphrased in one single sentence. I would like to use an earlier statement of André Malraux on culture, within the context provided by our present times: the 21st century will either be the century of dialogue or there won't be any 22nd century. 

I will admit that these are serious words. I would like to shed light on this statement in my contribution. To this end, I have divided my speech into three parts. I would first like to discuss the conditions of constructive and fruitful dialogue. Following this I would like to elaborate on the specific situation of South-Eastern Europe. Finally I would like to make mention of Hungarian efforts aimed at providing for the stability of this much suffered part of our continent. 

1. The difficulties and constraints of a fruitful dialogue.

If we were to query an everyday citizen living in Europe, Asia or Africa about his or her opinion on the dialogue between civilizations, we might not receive an answer with a positive connotation. The notion of this originally Greek word might not be known to him or might think that this was also one of those useless things of our modern life.

The same citizen walking the streets of Tokyo, Cairo or Skopje will ask us with indignation: what are we doing against recurring wars, threatening ecological disaster, poverty, unemployment and international crime? One could go on with the list. 

What kind of answer do we have for such questions of the citizens of Ohrid, Budapest or Nairobi? 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

The dialogue is indispensable if we really want to find a lasting settlement to the above-mentioned problems. 

In this respect I think it would be worthwhile to mention four notions. One is partnership based on the equality of the parties in dialogue. The second is trust, the third is about the assertion of and the honest desire to know the interests driving others. The fourth element is the atmosphere in which the dialogue takes place. One cannot state that equality and trust are essential for dialogue. Still we have to aspire to get closer to a status where the dialogue is between equal parties with confidence towards the partner.

If we were to wait always to have confidence in the other party before acting, we could spend the rest of our lives waiting for cooperation. Thus we need to engage in every dialogue possible in the hope that confidence will prevail over suspicion.

Further elements of a constructive dialogue are the interests we share and show, as well as their interaction. The atmosphere of the dialogue is another such element.

It is already a good sign if the parties realize their interest in starting and conducting a dialogue. 

This elevates the endeavour to a higher quality level, if there is true interest in what the other party represents, a rediscovery of long neglected values. This can bring about a situation, in which the atmosphere itself becomes a contributing value. This is what I hope to achieve today. The hope that even those with suspicions on their minds will see that dialogue is necessary and important for mankind ready to assume public responsibility.

2. South-eastern Europe as the exceptional venue for intercultural dialogue 

From time to time it is worth remembering the differences in the social development of South-Eastern and Western-Europe.

In terms of our topic today, it is important to note that -from the Medieval Ages until the end of the 19th century -religion based animosities were much less frequent in the region than in Western Europe. When the main objective was the establishment of a central administration on the basis of a French example, leaders of the region were confronted with a contradiction that still exists today. What is more important: a unified, homogenous nation state or preserving the multifaceted culture of those living in the region? We still do not have a satisfactory answer to this question. It was this dilemma that was the cause of so much suffering and tragedy for the people of this region in the 1990s.

If our present meeting was to have a practical objective, then it should be to rally the values of cultural and religious diversity against hegemony and standardizing aspirations.

UNESCO can play an active role in promoting the stability of the region, if after the adoption of the universal charter on cultural diversity; it develops the accompanying convention and helps to put that into practice. This is a significant challenge for all of us: to protect the autonomy of the individual from obsolete ideological concepts. Countries of South-eastern Europe are destined to use their values of cultural and religious diversity and to serve as a model for other regions of our continent.

The religious diversity of this region is unparalleled. The coexistence of Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish and Protestant communities for several centuries is a value that we have not paid enough attention to. In Western-Europe Muslim communities were established as a result of colonization and the migration that followed World War II.

Here small, rural religious communities were established like a mosaic, thus in our region we cannot talk about the "export" of religion. I am on the opinion that we have not yet appreciated the significance of this, so during the course of the Christian-Muslim dialogue we have to provide a place for countries of South-eastern Europe.

3. Hungary's participation in securing stability in the region 

As a neighbouring country Hungary has always been and continues to be extremely interested in strengthening the stability of South-eastern Europe.

From the beginning of the 1990s Hungary welcomed more than fifty thousand refugees fleeing the armed conflicts. The population showed solidarity with all those, who had to leave their homes due to humanitarian, economic, ethnic or religious crisis.

At the same time the enlargement of the EU and of NATO provides new conditions and possibilities for frameworks of regional cooperation. We wish to play an initiative role in helping to promote the adaptation to the new situation.

In cooperation with our Visegrad Group partners we wish to participate in forming the new South-east Europe policy of the EU. The EU plans to attach an important role to the Central European Initiative in shaping and implementing its Eastern, South-eastern policies. Active Hungarian participation in the Stability Pact and the notion of self - government, which is now at the centre of activities within the Szeged Process are all good examples of our commitment to reconstruction. Relations established at the local level between local authorities can provide a sound basis for cooperation and can help to promote the successful European integration of the region. 

I would like to state here also that Hungary is ready to continue to deliver on her earlier undertakings if that helps to reconcile people of the affected region and to pave the way for their cooperation. 

It is in light of this that we support plans drafted by UNESCO, namely

• a review of school history books,

• regional exchanges of teachers in higher education, administrative personnel, students to help with the process of reconciliation.

• We especially support the program titled "Establishing a plural cultural identity in a region burdened by tension"

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let us not forget our final objective: to act and cooperate internationally, so that people of this region of Europe, who have suffered, should find again their reasons to be optimistic, so that their place of birth and they can live in peace.

When one gets tired from time to time, it is usually best to turn to arts for rejuvenation. It is in the spirit of this that I would like to leave with you Mr. President and Mr. Director-general the album of a Hungarian painter, who lived one hundred years ago. His name is Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka and his work is a fine example of the spirit of the dialogue between cultures. The Wailing Wall of Jerusalem, the portrait of the old Moroccan teacher or his works depicting the beauty of the landscape on the Balkans, give us inspiration to go along on the path that we have to, to protect our values, so that our everyday life could be filled with joy and happiness. 

Thank you for your distinguished attention.