President of EAFF Mr Kaloyan Nikolov took part in the "Connecting Caribbean and European cultural events through professional exchange and networking" seminar, that was held in Republic of Dominicana in the period from 2 to 4 November 2022 as part of the Transcultura program of UNESCO with the finance support of the European Union.

The event was officially opened by Pastor de Moya, Deputy Minister of Cultural Identity and Citizenship, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Dominicana and Alexandra Borchi, coordinator of the Transcultura program of UNESCO.

The forum aimed to present the values and benefits arising from cooperation and the role of partnership development in increasing the income from the cultural economy and the exchange of capital in the field of culture. The aim of the participants was to identify specific opportunities for cooperation between cultural events within the Caribbean and between the Caribbean region and Europe - to improve networking and internationalization.

The group activities were also aimed at promoting online and offline social networks among the participants in order to exchange knowledge, practical experience and working methodologies, regarding the organization of cultural events, export and international inclusion.

Part of the initiative were representatives of 28 cultural organizations and cultural events from the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belgium, Bulgaria, France and Germany. They agreed to promote cooperation and professional networks to improve interaction, to access new markets and to promote greater Caribbean participation in European cultural events.

The Caribbean region is known for its rich cultural diversity, represented in numerous events and festivals, having great potential for development. During the meeting, the participants were given the opportunity to share their experiences and best practices regarding their organizational and business models.

Mr. Nikolov said that "The possibility of cooperation between the Caribbean and European Folklore Festivals can give good results for cultural exchange as well as lead to the development of the Championship System of Folklore Festivals in the Caribbean Region."