The first day of the traditional Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) is behind us, and this year, the forum is dedicated to the debate on the future of the European Union. The first day of the debate, which was marked by a record turnout of both foreign and domestic politicians, businessmen and experts, was devoted to talks about current developments in Afghanistan and thus also to the issue of migration. There was also talk of the EU enlargement in the area of the Western Balkans.
“Over the years, the Bled Strategic Forum has become the pride of Slovenian diplomacy,” Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Anže Logar, stressed and added that in 16 years, this forum for strategic political thinking has hosted over 100 thousand participants from 100 countries. “In all these years, the Bled Strategic Forum has also been visited by 30 heads of state and government, of which 14 have visited us this year. The participation of media representatives has also reached a record high this year.”
According to Minister Logar, this year’s Bled Strategic Forum has surpassed all expectations in terms of international participation, and it also provided direct proof that by actively engaging everyone – from the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs to the other ministers engaged in international activities – active diplomacy can essentially help us take important steps forward, in terms of placing Slovenia in international currents, in just a year and a half.
The centre of an inspiring and important debate on the future of Europe
Positive impressions from the participants show that the Bled Strategic Forum is an international conference that offers quality content and boasts excellent organisation. “Today, I visited the picturesque Bled, which has now become the centre of an inspiring and important debate on the future of Europe. Thank you, Janez Janša, for inviting me to a remarkably interesting debate on the EU enlargement and current security issues at the Bled Strategic Forum,” said the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Apparently, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, was also pleased with the event, stating that he himself is working closely with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. He wrote: “Thanks to Prime Minister Janez Janša for convening the Bled Strategic Forum. We addressed the future of Europe and discussed common challenges with Western Balkans ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit.”
European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica, said that it was a pleasure to be in Bled, where she participated in the Bled Strategic Forum. “Thank you to the Slovenian Presidency and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for an excellent event!”
Never before has there been such a substantive and open debate
Former minister and columnist Dr Žiga Turk commented with great satisfaction that he does not remember a time when there were that many top-level political representatives at the Bled Strategic Forum. According to him, the forum has also never before seen such a substantive and open debate.
“There was an excellent debate on illegal migration at the Bled Strategic Forum this year. Interestingly, the Brussels politicians want to have a decisive influence on the policy of accepting migrants and then want to impose this burden on the countries. But this story will not end how they want it to. The mistakes that were made in 2015 have taught us a lot…” commented the security expert Dr Boštjan Perne.
Former Member of European Parliament and Minister of Health Zofija Mazej Kukovič emphasised that the Bled Strategic Forum has probably never hosted as many foreign leaders in its sixteen years of existence, which, according to her, proves that Slovenia is enjoying a good international reputation.
Nina Žoher
