Next week, the Bled Strategic Forum will once again bring together a wide range of national and civil society representatives in Slovenia to address current challenges under the theme "A World of Parallel Realities". The title reflects the need to find bridges across social and geopolitical divides.
The BSF, which will take place on 2 and 3 September, is intended to contribute to dialogue and awareness-raising on the need to find bridges to bridge divides.
This year's event will be special because it will take place at the very time when Slovenia, as a non-permanent member, will assume the presidency of the UN Security Council.
In this context, the BSF also reflects, on the one hand, Slovenia's greater responsibility in the international community, a new breadth or awareness that Slovenia, through its levers of soft power, which is what the BSF is, can address even the most difficult problems of the international community.
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Logo of the Bled Strategy Forum.
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"I think this year we are really showing the breadth of Slovenian foreign policy. We are showing that even as a small country we can have a significant impact on developments in the international community," said BSF Secretary General Peter Grk a few days before the BSF kick-off. Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
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This year's event is, on the one hand, linked to Slovenia's membership of the UN Security Council and, on the other hand, aims to raise all those topics that are crucial for Slovenia, as well as for future geostrategic relations in the world. Photo: Miro Zalokar
This year, the BSF will address both acute issues, such as the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, and problems that require longer-term reflection. We are beset by pressing challenges that need to be resolved as soon as possible. The first day of the event will focus, among other things, on the future of the European Union, with a speech by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen;
Other topics to be discussed in Bled include EU enlargement, the upcoming US presidential elections, cyber security, the fight against disinformation, energy security, the green transition and water security.
Date: 28. August 2024
Time to read: 3 min
