PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2019) The second edition of the Paris Peace Forum will officially open on Tuesday in the French capital city.
The Paris Peace Forum was launched by French President Emmanuel Macron last year to mark the centennial anniversary of the end of World War I. The forum debates for scaling up a selection of innovative projects, pitched by governments, nonprofits and businesses.
This year, the event will focus on six key areas � international peace and security, development, environmental protection, inclusive economics, new technologies, education and culture. The event's organizers say that about 30 heads of state and government are expected to attend. The Russian delegation will be headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
About 100 management projects from different countries are annually selected to be presented at the event, with about 10 chosen to be granted support from the forum.
French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie Bermann said that as many as four Russian projects would be presented this year. According to the diplomat, the list of Russian projects will include, among others, "Ecosystems, Companies, Sustainable Development: Rating in Protection the Earth," which aims to promote environmentally conscious business practices, and "L'art du Dialogue. Dialogue des Arts" by the French-Russian public diplomacy initiative called Trianon Dialogue.
The official opening ceremony of the event was preceded by the so-called soft opening that took place on November 11 and was closed to reporters. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and President of the Paris Peace Forum Pascal Lamy made addresses during the preliminary gathering.
The forum's debate session will officially begin on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. local time (09:30 GMT).
