Winners of the V International Contest "The Leader Public Diplomacy" Announced in Moscow

The award ceremony for the winners of the V International Contest "Leader of Public Diplomacy" was held on September 18, 2026, in Moscow. The event was part of the Second World Public Assembly "New World: Values That Unite."

In 2026, the "Leader of Public Diplomacy" project brought together more than 300 representatives from various regions of the world, with 31 participants advancing to the international stage. The Contest aims to support people who implement practical projects in public diplomacy, develop direct international ties, and create new formats of cooperation between countries and societies.

Nine categories were represented in the international stage — cultural, business, media, educational, sports, children's, and scientific diplomacy, historical memory, and volunteering. The geography of the winners and prize recipients spans Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The winners and prize recipients of the international stage were:

Cultural Diplomacy:

• 1st degree — Miguel Suárez del Cerro, Spaine;

• 2nd degree — Viktoria Tolstova, Japan; Alnajem Azzam Adnan, France; Marina Kholodenova, Italy;

• 3rd degree — Bakhtiyar Khodzhaniyazov, Turkmenistan; Abdeslam Boutayeb, Morocco.

Business Diplomacy:

• 1st degree — Karlind Govender, South Africa;

• 2nd degree — Rashad Bilimoria, Australia;

• 3rd degree — Marlyse Rosine Demgne Ndjenga, Cameroon; Olga Chizhik, Russia; Muhamed Bassam Abdul Rahman, Lebanon.

Media Diplomacy:

• 1st degree — Adriana Vieira, Brazil;

• 2nd degree — Sahar Zaman, India;

• 3rd degree — Tadeo Casteglione, Argentina.

Educational Diplomacy:

• 1st degree — Alexandra Troyan, Thailand;

• 2nd degree — Carolina Gaspar, Mexico;

• 3rd degree — Ekpome Jean-Louis Brou, Côte d'Ivoire.

Sports Diplomacy:

• 1st degree — Andrey Kovalyov, Germany;

• 2nd degree — Jean-Jacques Lukusa, Congo;

• 3rd degree — Ivan Ivanov, Kyrgyzstan.

Children's Diplomacy:

• 1st degree — Olga Bazelyuk, Tunisia;

• 2nd degree — Olesya Dreglya, Moldova.

Scientific Diplomacy:

• 1st degree — Bogdan Dragomir, Romania;

• 2nd degree — Salah Ashummari, Iraq.

Historical Memory:

• 1st degree — Natalia Bogdanova, Panama;

• 2nd degree — Elena Kovardakova, Kazakhstan;

• 3rd degree — Matar Daud, Palestine.

Volunteering:

• 1st degree — Rosni Zahari, Malaysia;

• 2nd degree — Shirin Abidova, Uzbekistan;

• 3rd degree — Najlaa Hammad, Jordan; Al Hussein Mohamed Hussein Ragheb, Syria.

— Behind every application for participation are real deeds, new connections, ideas, and a readiness to work for mutual understanding between people and countries. The community of public diplomacy leaders has grown. It has gained new countries, new projects, and, most importantly, new names, — note the organizers of the Contest.

Over five years, the "Leader of Public Diplomacy" Contest has become an international platform for identifying and supporting people who, in practice, build cooperation between countries through culture, education, science, media, business, sports, volunteering, and the preservation of historical memory.

The award ceremony in Moscow became not only the finale of the Contest but also an important component of one of the key objectives of the Second World Public Assembly — the transition from international dialogue to sustainable ties and concrete joint projects.

Additional information is available on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly and at media@world-assembly.org.