Slovak Embassy to Promote Trencin as European Capital of Culture in Brussels

Brussels, 4 November (TASR-correspondent) - The Slovak Embassy will promote Trencin as the European Capital of Culture in 2026 in Brussels. During his meeting with compatriots at the Slovak Embassy in Brussels on Monday (3 November), Slovak Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Tomas Kozak told a TASR correspondent that diplomacy can help this project with a cultural, economic and social impact and present it on a broader European scale. The compatriot event preceded Tuesday's official presentation of the programme in the European Council building, where Trencin representatives will appear before the media along with their counterparts from the Finnish city of Oulu, which will also hold the European Capital of Culture title next year. The ambassador invited Trencin deputy mayor Patrik Zak and Trencin Creative Institute director Stanislav Krajci to a debate with compatriots, employees of EU institutions and MEPs. "We wanted to jointly present to them how this project was created, what principles guided it and the people who prepared Trencin as the Capital of Culture," said Kozak. He added that this is just the beginning for the embassy, "as we will continue to help the city in this important project" as part of the embassy's diplomatic work; for example, by promoting Trencin in Brussels. The ambassador noted that such projects also have an economic impact, as cities bearing the European Capital of Culture title focus not only on their own economic development, but also on development opportunities for the wider region that this title brings with it. When selecting European Cities of Culture, the European Commission requires that this designation, in addition to cultural visibility, also has a European dimension and means that the development of the city and its surroundings remains sustainable even afterwards. "We're pleased that the project prepared by Trencin for 2026 also has this dimension," stated Kozak. He added that the Slovak Embassy in Brussels has the ambition to be an "open space" for people who attend various events on its premises, from cultural presentations to meetings with compatriots and diplomats. Therefore, it will closely cooperate with the city of Trencin to promote events due to take place as part of its tenure as the European Capital of Culture. ko/df