Ceremonial opening of the first global Model NATO Youth Summit will be held tonight in Podgorica and it will gather 180 youths from 51 countries. They will represent delegations that comprise NATO, as well as delegation of countries that are in the integration process. During following seven days they will simulate discussion and debates.
MoNYS is third NATO Youth Summit in a row, and it is being held every year in Brussels. It had its Montenegrin premiere last year, while it was devised this year as a special cooperation of MoNYS from Brussels and local partner Public Policy Institute, with the aim to provide support and visibility to Montenegro during process of NATO integration.
“The main goal of NATO Youth Summit simulation is raising awareness about NATO activities and its mission. The summit promotes interpersonal and intercultural exchange between participants, it enriches academic portfolio through discussion about current international questions, scope and limits of international negotiations; it also emphasizes the significance of balancing national interests with needs of international community”, according to a statement of the organizers.
As organizers have announced, the president of Global MoNYS George Manea and Montenegro MoNYS Selena Tasić will open the conference. National coordinator for NATO and Prime Minister’s advisor for foreign policy Nebojša Kaluđerović and state secretary of Ministry of defense Bojan Šarkić will greet youths from 51 countries in the name of the Government of Montenegro.
The special guest of the opening ceremony will be the president of the Committee for international cooperation, member of the Committee for security and member of the Croatian delegation in NATO parliamentary assembly and former Minister of defense of the Republic of Croatia Davor Božinović.
Considering that the NATO Youth Summit Simulation is one of the most recognizable projects funded by NATO Department for public diplomacy, the assistant of General Secretary for public diplomacy, Ted Whiteside, will join the participants on 3rd December.
Model NATO Youth Summit 2014 was financially supported by NATO Department for public diplomacy and Višegrad Fund.
Source: RTCG portal
