On December 22, during the visit of the Russian delegation to Belgrade, Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, and Alexander Voloshin, Senator of the Russian Federation, met with participants of the WYFD events from Serbia. The event was held in the format of an open dialogue in the Belgrade coworking space.

Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, presented to the Serbian youth the results of Russian-Serbian youth cooperation development in 2025, and also key projects planned for 2026.

During a lively discussion, the participants of the meeting made a proposal to establish a WYFD Project Office in Serbia. Dmitry Ivanov confirmed that this issue is already being worked out:

"Together with our colleagues in Belgrade, we are discussing the possibility of opening the WYFD Representative Office in Serbia. This will be a hub for young people, a platform for collaborative events, and a showcase for the projects of Russian youth organizations. We came to Serbia to listen to your opinions and thoughts. When we work with young people in Russia, we follow the principle of "No projects for young people without young people." We apply this approach to our international cooperation as well. That's why it's important for us to understand how you see our collaboration, what programs or opportunities you need. Your ideas and energy are what we need to create a brighter future for all of us,” - said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

Serbian participants also showed significant interest in internships in Russia, developing skills for working in the media sphere, and participating in grant competitions. In response, representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate spoke about existing internship programs, including internships at the WYFD itself, and also presented the International Content Center, a permanent community for bloggers focused on the professional development of media professionals and the creation of content promoting the ideas of mutual respect, friendship, multipolarity, preservation of traditional values, respect for their history, dissemination of impartial and reliable information.

The meeting participants discussed the possibility of creating joint educational projects dedicated to the study of deep historical ties between Russia and Serbia, including the history of the settlement of the territories of modern Donbass by Serbs and their contribution to the development of the region.

At the end of the meeting, Dmitry Ivanov invited young people from Serbia to become part of the International Festival of Youth, the largest youth event in 2026, which will be attended by 10,000 people from 190 countries.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on preserving and developing the legacy of the World Youth Festival, which took place on the Sirius Federal Territory in 2024 and united 20,000 young people from 190 countries of the world, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030. In 2026, there will be a smaller event, an International Youth Festival with 10,000 participants. In between, the World Youth Festival’s themed Assemblies will be held annually for 2,000 participants.

The first World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod from September 17 to 21, 2025 and brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.