Croatian President Stjepan Mesic welcomed the participants. "The importance of a people is not measured by its size but its contribution to the development of the country it lives in. In that regard, the contribution of the Jewish people to the development of global culture and civilisation is immeasurable," Mesic said.
This year's event, which is taking place from September 24 to October 1 under the auspices of the Croatian Culture Ministry, pooled more than 300 participants - cultural workers and artists and their friends from the former Yugoslavia, as well as from Hungary, France, Italy, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Israel.
The main purpose of the event is the preservation of the Jewish cultural heritage through various educational, entertainment and cultural programs, as well as round table discussions on the position of Jews today.