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 Following the successful experience of previous Forums in Belgrade (March 2007), Tbilisi (October 2007) and Pécs (November 2007) the co-producers aimed to develop a tangible culture of democracy. The objective has been to stimulate a long-term and sustainable dialogue between civil society and policymakers as well as to emphasise the role of culture in the development of Europe with a particular focus on South-Eastern Europe.
The agenda of Forum Skopje, therefore, included topics such as: the relationship between civil society, policymakers and the administrative sector in regional cooperation, the European responsibility and challenges of cities and regions, the contribution that culture could make towards developing cities and ensuring successful regional development; trends and politics in cultural diversity, social cohesion and other topics. Various European politicians and civil society actors, in particular the young generations, discussed these fundamental issues with the local actors. Among others, Forum Skopje included: Ljubisa Georgievski, President of the Macedonian Parliament; Michael Zeeman, journalist, essayist, poet, Alojz Peterle and Doris Pack, Members of the European Parliament; Erwan Fouéré, Special representative of the European Commission in Macedonia; Elisabeta Kancevska Milevska, State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture in Macedonia; Milena Dragicevic Šešic, Professor at the Faculty of Arts, Belgrade University and Special Advisor to the Minister of Culture of Serbia; Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe; Anna Athanasopolou, European Commission's Executive Agency for Education and Culture; Violeta Simjanovska, Pak Multimedia Skopje and Steve Austen, Permanent Fellow Felix Meritis.
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