While Europe and its allies from across the Atlantic have been facing unprecedented new security challenges, the EU integration of the Western Balkans has become an imminent imperative in view of securing Europe’s safe and prosperous future.
Building stable connectivity among Western Balkan countries in critical areas such as infrastructure, technology, digitalization, and overall security is the path to handling inevitable emergencies and developing resilience to emerging risks and threats.
Therefore, the European Liberal Forum supported by the ALDE Party and the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria will host “The EU Meets the Balkans” forum in Sofia, which will bring together a number of high-level speakers, that will debate on the regional cooperation and EU integration in a series of four panels. The event will also focus on the situation in Ukraine.
The welcoming speakers include:
- Daniel Kaddik, Executive Director of the European Liberal Forum, ELF
Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Member of the European Parlament, Co-President of ALDE Party
Dr. Solomon Passy, President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria - Followed by a keynote address from:
- Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
Teodora Genchovska, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine - Their introduction will be followed by а conversation on the costs of the non-integration between Federica Mogherini, Rector Collage of Europe and HR/VP of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (2014-2019) and the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.
On the contrary view, the first panel will focus on the benefits of the integration, where Ministers of Foregin Affairs of Republic of Turkey, Republic North Macedonia, Republic of Albania, Republic of Kosovo and Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina will take part.
Further discussion will tackle the issue of NATO and EU cooperation in scenerios of prosperity and war. The panel will host Sir Stuart Peach, UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans and other high-level guests.
The last panel will focus on the disinformation in the tie of crisis, with Vice admiral Mitko Petev, Bulgarian Military Representative to NATO and EU MC and Peter Horrocks, Former Director of BBC World Service Groupas as some of the panelists.