Europe’s Bled Strategic Forum 2024 hosts the world

The 19th International Conference of the Bled Strategic Forum will take place in Bled, Slovenia between September 2-3. This year’s conference is titled “A World of Parallel Realities” and will be marked by new innovative approaches in the programme and even greater involvement of youth.

“The awareness that we live in a world of parallel realities encourages us to bring these realities together for the common good. This year, with a programme of exceptional quality and diversity, we are signaling that we are opening Slovenia to the world, and at the same time, as a responsible member of the international community and a member of the UN Security Council, we are accepting our responsibilities and taking on even the most challenging debates. The Bled Strategic Forum is of key importance for us, as an instrument of soft power of Slovenian foreign policy, it broadens Slovenia’s interest in the international arena and thus makes our more active role in the global arena a reality,” said Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs.

The Bled Strategic Forum is an intergovernmental project of the Republic of Slovenia, organised by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Centre for European Future, and is one of the most visible foreign policy events in Slovenia. It brings in top policy makers at the annual platform.

The international conference of the Bled Strategic Forum is the leading international conference in Central and South-Eastern Europe. This year’s conference will host more than 15 Heads of State, Government and Ministers, as well as many other distinguished guests and members of civil society, international organisations, businesspeople, decision-makers and academics.

The Bled Strategic Forum is a global platform for the exchange of ideas and views on contemporary society and its future, and reflects Slovenia’s efforts as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. As a platform, it extends the capacity of small countries – to listen, hear and understand others – into the international arena. As a soft power of the Republic of Slovenia’s foreign diplomacy, it expands Slovenia’s interest in the international global arena, thus making it a more active player in the global arena.

The conference is a unique opportunity for thematic meetings and networking with regional and global stakeholders. A number of bilateral meetings will be held within the framework of the Bled Strategic Forum. As a platform for inclusion, equality and diversity, the Bled Strategic Forum aims to bring together as many different stakeholders as possible.This year’s programme will include 32 debates with more than 180 speakers from 48 different countries. One of the innovations of the Bled Strategy Forum 2024 programme will be the introduction of the innovative concept of the “Living library”, a concept of interpersonal dialogue and interaction in which participants address pressing topics, questions and dilemmas.A total of 57 delegations will attend the conference. Peter Grk, Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum, says: “In 19 years, the Bled Strategic Forum has grown from a regional platform to a global event that opens Slovenia’s doors to the world and addresses the most important challenges of today and the future. The Forum’s distinctive feature is its inclusiveness and its ability to attract guests with different perspectives, thoughts and ideas, because we believe that only in this way can we find common solutions for a stable and more sustainable future. The world is changing, becoming more volatile and fragmented, and in this context, platforms like the Bled Strategic Forum are more important than ever.”