When there are good intentions behind everything we do, even failure becomes something we can face with more ease
When someone receives an award, the most common question is “what does this award mean to you?”. There is no doubt that I am speaking from a viewpoint of a former journalist, but I thought that I would frame my speech by answering this exact question.
This award means a lot to me, primarily because it is an award for building bridges between nations, which, it seems to me, is the essence of my primary occupation, which is diplomacy.
I consider myself a pacifist both by character and by conviction, so that works in favor of diplomacy as well
The goal of diplomacy is precisely to build bridges between nations and people and to provide that space for dialogue, talks, negotiations and agreements. I consider myself a pacifist both by character and by conviction, so that works in favor of diplomacy as well.
This award carries big importance for me because I was nominated for it by wonderful, young, educated and working people from the south of our country, and I sincerely thank them for that.
Likewise, sincere congratulations to all winners of this year’s Diplomacy & Commerce magazine award. I believe you will agree with me that awards are first of all a great honor, but also a responsibility. Awards are there to tell us that we are doing something well and that someone finally noticed it. They are there to give us additional motivation and inspiration, but also to remind us how important responsibility is behind everything we do. When there are good intentions behind everything we do, even failure becomes something we can face with more ease.
Awards are there to tell us that we are doing something well and that someone finally noticed it
In the end, I would like to end with a wonderful quote from our Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić, since we are talking about bridges, the physical ones, but also the metaphorical ones. He said that out of everything that a man builds and creates in his life, nothing is better or more valuable than bridges. In honor of building bridges between nations and between people, thank you.
