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International Diplomacy Forum "Know How to Be Friends!" at PetrSU

05 十一月 2025

The youth forum, initiated by Alexia Vyacheslavova, a 15-year-old activist from Petrozavodsk of the Movement of Firsts, was held for the first time.

The forum brought together schoolchildren, students, teachers, and mentors from across Russia and other countries. Its goal is to create a space where young people can share experiences, learn to understand each other, and build constructive relationships across cultures and countries.

The regional branch of the Movement of Firsts organized the forum, and its creator was Alexia Vyacheslavova, a 15-year-old activist from Petrozavodsk.

The Head of Karelia, Artur Parfenchikov, opened the international youth diplomacy forum "Know How to Be Friends!"

“I want to thank you, dear young people, for your commitment! Even though you are so young, you are already setting serious goals. The idea of the forum is the cornerstone. Just yesterday, we celebrated National Unity Day, and I want to say that in unity lies our strength. Earlier, during a meeting with young people, movement activist Alexia Vyacheslavova approached me with a proposal to organize a forum. Her initiative received a grant from Rosmolodezh. It is thanks to such persistence, youth leadership, and self-confidence that the "Know How to Be Friends!" forum is taking place in Karelia today, where I'm sure you'll come up with interesting discoveries and ideas,

- said Artur Parfenchikov.

During the forum, Artur Parfenchikov also spoke with Alexia Vyacheslavova, and the forum organizers thanked the Head of Karelia for supporting youth initiatives in the region and presented him with commemorative gifts—a miniature kantele and a doll.

“For me, diplomacy is, first and foremost, communication. Communication aimed at exchanging cultures and history. While talking with students from India and Brazil, I realized that we have a lot in common; we're the same teenagers. For example, we all like unhealthy food and listen to the same music. It's also easier today to communicate with teenagers from other countries thanks to advances in technology, the internet, translators, and neural networks, which have essentially eliminated the language barrier, said Alexia Vyacheslavova.

The forum program includes a two-day intensive course. Participants will enjoy lectures and presentations by experts in international relations and intercultural communications. Panel discussions on global cooperation and modern diplomatic etiquette are planned, as well as practical workshops aimed at developing key competencies in international interaction.