Al Nasser to visit Helsinki to alliance of civilizations

The UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), HE Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser has voiced pleasure for the invitation he received from the Finnish foreign ministry and Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between cultures to give a lecture at Helsinki University entitled: "Dialogue Between Cultures and Nordic Societies How the Alliance of Civilizations could enrich Nordic Involvement." In a statement to Qatar news agency (QNA) upon his arrival in Doha late last night, HE Al-Nasser highly praised the role Finland assumes to maintain international peace and security through mediation, the matter which makes it a natural ally to the alliance of civilizations which is considered the mechanism of preventive diplomacy or the soft power for building peace in the hearts and minds of the coming generations. HE Qatar's distinguished diplomat further said that the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) aims to improve understanding and cooperation among nations and peoples across cultures and to reduce polarization at local and global levels. It helps develop more inclusive societies, in which diversity is experienced as an asset. Elaborating he said that the lecture was attended by a large number of Finnish government ministers, senior officials and the diplomatic corps accredited to Helsinki, academics and media representatives. During the official visit to Finland which wrapped up earlier Thursday, HE Al Nasser held a number of meetings with Finnish officials including President Sauli Niinisto, President of the Republic of Finland and Erkki Tuomioja, the Foreign Minister as well as the Speaker of the Parliament and a number of ministers and high-ranking officials in the Finnish Government. HE Al-Nasser also held brainstorming sessions with Nordic partners aiming at strengthening areas of cooperation between the Alliance and members of the UNAOC Group of Friends and other stakeholders. They also discussed means of advancing interreligious and intercultural approaches to conflict prevention, reconciliation and the interconnectedness between culture and the post 2015 Development agenda. Additionally, HE Al-Nasser met with representatives of the major media outlets in Finland, members of the Allianssi (the National Youth Council of Finland) and representatives of educational institutions and businesses.