Antalya (TDI): The Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025 has concluded yesterday, after hosting a number of world leaders in a series of panel discussions, roundtables, and specific talks. This was the fourth edition of the Forum, under the theme: “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World.”
The Forum has become the flagship event of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye. This year’s theme has been picked in the backdrop of how the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s imposed war on Gaza have divided the world and when globalization struggles to bring countries together.
“Growing geopolitical rifts, deepening global inequalities, the surge in violence targeting civilians, intolerance towards divergent views, uncertainties driven by technological disruptions and multidimensional impact of the climate crisis have all shaken common sense of justice and eroded trust in international institutions.”
“The inability of the current international system to find solutions to these contemporary challenges has further strained the already struggling cooperation efforts,” this year Forum’s official introduction read.
Agenda of the Forum
The agenda of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum for this year included around fifty sessions. The panels discussed several key topics ranging from climate change, nuclear escalation, digitalization, and conflicts in Africa and the Middle East to issues of ownership in the Balkans as well as rising food insecurity in the world.
A special session titled “Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation in the South Caucasus,” also took place, which brought together the Foreign Ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, to discuss major regional developments, barriers to cooperation, and prospects of lasting peace.
Read More: Syrian President al-Sharaa Attends 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum
Participation of World Leaders
The Forum was attended by nineteen heads of state, fifty two Foreign Ministers, twnety Deputy Ministers, twenty Members of Parliament, sixty representatives of notable international organizations, and around four thousand other guests including students, researchers, and policymakers.
During the discussions, the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Republic of South Africa, Thandi Moraka, stressed the need for African countries to unite and use the platform of G20 to address their needs.
“It’s high time that as African countries, we need to hold hands and speak in one voice using the G20 platform.”
-Thandi Moraka, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Republic of South Africa#ADF2025#MEET4DIPLOMACY pic.twitter.com/U5rTiYkUjC
— Antalya Diplomacy Forum (@AntalyaDF) April 12, 2025
Moreover, Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Đurić, emphasized the need for deeper regional cooperation and long-term stability in the Western Balkans and stated that regional policy is at the core of Serbia’s foreign agenda.
“We need to make sure that the basic premise of capitalism works in our country—that you can actually try, fail, and try again until you succeed. In too many ways, this is still quite difficult,” Marko Đurić noted.
The President of the Republic of Indonesia urged the global leaders to mutually respect one another amid the growing conflicts and prioritize diplomacy over power-based politics.
He also warned that a return to the idea of “might makes right” would divert the attention of leaders from actual problems, such as poverty alleviation and sustainable development, particularly in the developing countries.
Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab Province, Maryan Nawaz Sharif also arrived in Antalya to participate in the forum discussions, on the invitation of Türkiye’s first lady.
She addressed the Conference on education and highlighted the initiatives taken by her government in the field of education, especially for women and girls.
Read More: Maryam Nawaz Arrives in Turkey for Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Will Address Conference on Education
The event was also attended by the United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, who highlighted the need to unite for ensuring “peace” and not just “security.”
“We have to agree to work together in terms peace, not security. Security will not bring peace, peace will bring security. Without peace we fail”.
–@MiguelMoratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, United Nations#ADF2025#MEET4DIPLOMACY pic.twitter.com/YVBVs9b8cW
— Antalya Diplomacy Forum (@AntalyaDF) April 12, 2025
Additionally, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov also arrived in Antalya to partake in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum at the invitation of Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan.
Meetings on the Sidelines
The leaders also discussed issues of mutual interests and concern with one another on the sidelines of the main events.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, discussed bilateral trade and economic relations, cooperation in energy, and finance with the Turkish Foreign Minister.
According to the Russian Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, Foreign Minister Lavrov would also be discussing the issue of Ukraine with other world leaders.
Similarly, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held a series of meetings on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
He held meetings with Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, and Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to discuss matters of common interest.
Read More: Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025
Also, Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Hojamyrat Geldimyradov, participated in the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where he stressed that Turkmenistan has been contributing significantly to strengthening international cooperation for the sake of global well-being and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He also urged the countries to participate in the global development initiatives taken by Turkmenistan.
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum was first held in 2021, between June 18 and June 20, under the theme “Innovative Diplomacy: New Era, New Approaches.”
It quickly gathered the attention of world leaders, who have since then actively participated in the Forum to highlight all issues of global concern.
Javaria Khalid is a Web Contributor at The Diplomatic Insight Magazine. She specializes in covering geopolitical developments, international relations, diplomatic, and socio-economic developments in Europe and Pakistan.
