The Fourth Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) will focus on the need for dialogue and diplomacy amid global challenges and increasing fragmentation on the international stage.
The forum will be held under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the NEST Congress Centre in Antalya on April 11-13.
This year, the ADF will convene under the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World” and focus on redefining the role of diplomacy in resolving regional and global issues.
Addressing the multilayered challenges facing the international system, the forum will highlight the importance of dialogue in responding to these challenges.
The ADF has been held annually since 2021. This year, among those attending will be Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and others.
The Foreign Ministry underlined that rising geopolitical tensions, global inequalities, violence targeting civilians, lack of tolerance, uncertainties brought about by technological transformations and the multidimensional effects of the climate crisis undermine confidence in the international system.
“In this critical period, the ADF will underline the stabilizing and unifying power of diplomacy and propose solutions within the framework of regional and global cooperation,” a written statement said.
It added that nearly 450 representatives from approximately 140 countries, including more than 20 heads of state and government, 2 speakers of Parliament, 74 ministers, 23 deputy ministers and 11 members of Parliament will participate in the forum.
Moreover, 950 journalists from nearly 50 countries have been accredited for the forum.
In three formats (ADFPanel, ADFRound, ADFTalk) and around 50 sessions, the three-day forum will cover a wide spectrum of topics concerning different geographies from the Middle East to Asia-Pacific and Africa to Latin America. It also features various themes ranging from climate change to terrorism, humanitarian aid to digitalization, and food security to artificial intelligence.
Having hosted multifaceted discussions on global and regional issues, the ADF has become an effective platform in the international arena offered by Türkiye for dialogue and solutions.
Preparations completed
Meanwhile, preparations for the forum have been completed. The city, which has previously hosted world leaders at important events such as the G-20 and NATO summits, will host the Diplomacy Forum for the fourth time. Security measures in and around Belek as well as the airport have been increased.
Preparations in the congress center have been made to host the sessions, bilateral meetings and news conferences. Stands were set up by the institutions and organizations that will participate in the forum, including one prepared by the African Culture House.
Ankara Governor Hulusi Şahin told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Antalya is experienced in hosting international events.
“It is a source of pride for us that diplomacy is flourishing and growing in Antalya and that a platform is being sought for solving regional, national and international problems,” he said.
Şahin added that guests have started to arrive. “All our hotels are ready. Let alone in Türkiye, we are one of the cities boasting the biggest hotel capacity around the world. The number of five-star hotels in Antalya exceeds those of Spain in total.”