The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the Anna Lindh Foundation Forum, held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, from 18 to 20 June 2025. The event brought together 46 Euro-Mediterranean countries and 800 representatives of the international cultural community, under the patronage of Albanian Prime Minister Mr. Edi Rama and HRH Princess Rym Ali, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation.

As part of the Forum, ICESCO, in cooperation with the Anna Lindh Foundation, organized an international seminar titled “Orient-Occident: Possible Reconciliations? Strengthening Intercultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean.” Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector, underscored the Organization’s evolving role in advancing cultural and international relations by developing innovative cultural frameworks and platforms that bring together intellectuals, researchers, and creatives from within and beyond the Islamic world. Key initiatives include the ICESCO International Centre for Cultural Policies, the ICESCO International Think Tank: Culture for Rethinking the World, and the International Network of ICESCO Chairs for Thought, Heritage, Literature, and Arts. He emphasized that these initiatives serve as cultural bridges among nations, foster joint cooperation, and position culture as a tool for peace, knowledge, and creativity.

The seminar also featured keynote presentations by several prominent figures, including Mr. Julien Chenivesse, Interministerial Delegate for the Mediterranean, and Professor Vincent Geisser, Researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and President of the Center for Information and Studies on International Migration (CIEMI) in Paris.

On the sidelines of the Forum, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine met with HRH Princess Rym Ali, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation, and Mr. Josep Ferré, Executive Director of the Foundation, in the presence of Mr. Frédéric Jambu, ICESCO’s Expert in Cultural Policies. Two cooperation agreements were signed.

The first agreement aims to launch joint projects to support studies in the areas of “Sustainable Cultural Economies” and “New Technologies for Creativity,” and to back ICESCO’s initiatives related to cultural rights and supportive legislation for intellectuals, artists, and creators.

The second agreement provides for the Anna Lindh Foundation’s support of ICESCO’s initiative to establish the “ICESCO International Civil Society Network for Culture and Development,” aimed at enhancing international cultural cooperation.