Belgrade, 21 June 2023 (MIA) – The Open Balkan initiative’s cooperation in the field of culture kicked off on Tuesday evening in Belgrade with a gala concert by Zubin Mehta marking the 100th anniversary of the Belgrade Philharmonic, attended by the Minister of Culture of North Macedonia, Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska. Mehta’s concert in Belgrade will be followed by performances in Tirana and Skopje, MIA’s Belgrade correspondent reports.

This is the first larger event within the Open Balkan initiative in the field of culture, said Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska in Belgrade.

“We established the cultural cooperation of the three culture ministers of the Open Balkan countries at the May summit in 2022, and since then cooperation has been at a very high level. Despite being very different, our cultures are nonetheless very close, which for us represents a starting point to elevate our cooperation to its highest level. The event in Belgrade is only the beginning of the three events that will be held in Belgrade, Tirana and Skopje,” said Minister Kostadinovska-Stojchevska

The Open Balkan initiative was initially established as a platform for economic cooperation of the three countries, said Serbian Minister of Culture Maja Gojković, “but this evening it has definitely expanded to the field of culture,” she added.

“This is our first joint project - the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s performances in Belgrade, Skopje and Tirana. In a few weeks we will also have a joint exhibition of three artists from our three countries, at the Cultural Center of Serbia in Paris, and through our art we will show how our cultures are a bit different, but historically and culturally interwoven, and it will be interesting to see that variety and similarity in Paris, through our cultural heritage,” said Minister Gojković.

With his successful performance in Belgrade, Conductor Zubin Mehta kicked off his regional tour as part of the Open Balkan initiative, and will lead the Belgrade Philharmonic at the concerts in Tirana on June 22 and Skopje on June 24.

Photo: Ministry of Culture