On 22 October, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge paid a working visit to Gaziantep, Türkiye, where he met with the Turkish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mehmet Kemal Bozay. They had an important and constructive discussion on issues of common interest to the Council of Europe and Türkiye.
The Deputy Secretary General also participated in the 2023 Horasis Global Meeting, where the Turkish Ministers of Finance and Trade, several hundred entrepreneurs, businesses, academics and civil society representatives took part, along with local officials. The main theme of this year's global meeting was the reconstruction of the cities and provinces severely hit by a devasting earthquake on 6 February this year, resulting in the deaths of more than 50,000 people.
In the panel discussion "Improving our World under Stress", Berge emphasised the necessity of working together to solve the huge global challenges that the global community face today, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, climate change, Artificial Intelligence and democratic backsliding. Mr Berge also stressed the necessity for reforms and restructuring of international organisations, so that the global community can tackle emerging issues more efficiently.
