Doha: The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) is set to host the ninth General Assembly meeting of the Global Public Diplomacy Network (GPDNet) on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the participation of 21 countries. The meeting aims to launch training programs that empower and activate youth participation in the field of public diplomacy. During a press conference held at Hall 32 in Katara, Director-General of Katara and President of the GPDNet, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, expressed his hopes that this new session would help create a shared vision among members. He emphasized that this vision aims to open new avenues for a promising cultural future for a new generation of young leaders in public diplomacy. He highlighted the necessity of exploring innovative ways to address challenges and develop programs that raise awareness and build capacities in public diplomacy. Furthermore, he underscored the importance of encouraging active youth participation and maximizing the use of social media to enhance under standing and cooperation between countries and communities, that in turn, will empower youth to interact and shape a bright future for effective and influential public diplomacy. Secretary-General of the GPDNet and CEO of the Katara Public Diplomacy Center, Maryam Al Saad, expressed confidence that the ninth General Assembly meeting would be pivotal and exceptional due to the ambitious agenda that aims to open new horizons for joint cooperation, establishing a flexible system that contributes to developing future projects. She also mentioned that the new session's program prioritizes attracting young talents and motivating them to work in public diplomacy by equipping them with the necessary skills and expertise, the network aims to prepare a new generation capable of taking on responsibilities in social communication and serving their communities optimally for sustainable development. Al Saad hoped that the ninth General Assembly meeting would lead to rich discussions and valuable outcomes, enhancing coll aborative efforts in the field of international public diplomacy and achieving the network's fundamental goals of progress and strengthened cooperation and communication among nations and peoples. Source: Qatar News Agency