The focus of this year's Bled Strategic Forum (BSF), which will be held between 29 and 30 August under the title 'The rule of power or the power of rules', will be the discussions about the repercussions of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the crisis of multilateralism. Parallel to the main event, the Young Bled Strategic Forum (Young BSF) will also take place from 26 to 29 August in Ljubljana and Bled.

Between 29 and 30 August, the participants of the Bled Strategic Forum will seek answers to questions about the future of multilateral order and its role within the European Union. Global crises (climate, economic, food, energy) and the emergence of new crisis hotspots, but above all, Russian aggression against Ukraine and changes in the international order, have shown that the international system that was formed around the United Nations after the end of the Second World War must change. With the changes to the east-west and north-south axes, there was a question of reconfiguring the already established structure. The role of the European Union, especially in the light of the Ukrainian crisis, is to strengthen its voice on the international stage and strengthen its own ability to deal with current and future challenges, such as the food and security crisis.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and the host of this year’s Bled Strategic Forum, Ms Tanja Fajon, announcing the title and the theme of discussions of this year’s Forum, stated: “The good news is that the venue for tackling these difficult issues will – I am sure – inspire us and provide us with courage and motivation.”

BSF Secretary General Peter Grk emphasised: " Europe, and with it, the world are at a crossroads today. The path we will take will mark us and all future generations. In this context, the BSF will offer a platform for a frank exchange of views and the search for answers to the present and future questions.''

The main topic of the first day of the Bled Strategic Forum will be a discussion with the leaders of European countries, high representatives of the European Union and foreign ministers of European countries about the challenges facing the European Union and the region.

On the second day of the Bled Strategic Forum, discussions will focus on the situation in the European neighbourhood, the aid and reconstruction of Ukraine, and the consequences of Russian aggression on food and energy security in Europe and the enlargement of the EU. The talks will also touch upon the future of the global economy, cooperation in the fight against climate change, the challenges of the European security architecture, digitalisation and cyber security. The tourism panel of this year's BSF will be devoted to discussions on the response to the obstacles in tourism and the economy, which are the result of the global crisis.

This year's Young BSF will focus primarily on discussions about the future of democracy, also in light of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and young people will have the opportunity to present their ideas and conclusions at the Bled Strategic Forum.

Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) is a leading conference in Central and South-Eastern Europe, which for the seventeenth year has been an inclusive platform where a diverse structure of people from the fields of diplomacy, politics, economy, private and public sector and academia come together to discuss key challenges in the 21st century. The purpose of the BSF is to encourage participating actors to discuss and exchange opinions and to find innovative solutions to regional and global challenges.

More information on 17th Bled Strategic Forum is available on the official web page.