The opening panel began with a video documenting the large, student-led protests that have swept across Serbia over the past year. From there, the discussion moved to the broader political and social turmoil that followed the tragic collapse of the railway-station canopy in Novi Sad, as well as to potential pathways for overcoming the current deadlock.
On Monday, November 17, 2025, Srđan Cvijić, President of the International Advisory Committee of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, has officially opened the latest edition of the Belgrade Security Conference.
The BSC Young Leaders programme is being organised for the third year in a row. While the first edition gathered only 15 participants, this year the programme brings together over 30 young professionals. The programme extends beyond the official conference dates; the participants have already met today, on November 16th, while the Belgrade Security Conference begins the following day.
The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy is pleased to announce the updated BSC 2025 agenda. The thematic agenda now includes the full schedule of the conference for all three days, with detailed session times and panel topics.
This year’s conference will bring together high-level policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and civil society leaders from across Europe and from around the world to debate the most pressing questions of our time:
Belgrade Security Conference (BSC): “Pathways to Freedom” will take place on 17–19 November 2025 at the Sava Center in Belgrade, Serbia. Over three days, the BSC 2025 will feature plenary sessions, parallel discussions and special roundtables addressing issues such as hybrid threats, democratic resilience, European security architecture and the future of EU enlargement.
The BSC 2025 is dedicated to Ksenija Atanasijević (1894 -1981), Serbian philosopher and the first female professor at the University of Belgrade.
By convening leaders, thinkers and advocates at this critical juncture, the Belgrade Security Conference 2025 seeks to illuminate the pathways toward freedom—through justice, democracy and peace.
We look forward to welcoming you to Belgrade for another edition of the region’s leading platform for open dialogue and bold ideas.
We are thrilled to unveil the Thematic Agenda for the BSC 2025!
The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy’s flagship annual event, Belgrade Security Conference (BSC): “Pathways to Freedom” will take place on 17–19 November 2025 at the Sava Center in Belgrade, Serbia.
The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) hosted the latest edition of the BSC Leaders Meetings, bringing together diplomats, policymakers, scholars, and civil society representatives for an in-depth discussion on the Western Balkans’ strategic direction in an era of rapid global change. Over the course of the gathering, participants examined how shifting geopolitical dynamics, democratic backsliding, and uncertain EU enlargement prospects are reshaping the region’s political landscape.
The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) is pleased to announce the open call for participants for the third edition of the BSC Young Leaders Program, which will take place from 16 to 19 November 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia, alongside the Belgrade Security Conference – the largest regional platform for high-level dialogue on foreign and security policy.
The BSC Young Leaders program creates a unique space for 30 young people from the Western Balkans – to come together, reflect on shared challenges, and contribute to building a democratic and inclusive future based on European values.
This year’s program, titled “Clearing the Pathways to Freedom”, will include:
We are looking for motivated young people who:
Important: Participants of BSC Young Leaders 2023 and 2024 are not eligible to apply.
Interested candidates should apply by 15 October 2025 by filling out the application form.
Our long-standing partners in the BSC Young Leaders program implementation– the International Institute for Peace (IIP) – together with BCSP will reward three participants of BSC Young Leaders 2025 with the opportunity to attend the conference organised by IIP in Vienna, on 2–3 December 2025. The conference, titled 30 Years After Dayton, will focus on the legacy of the Dayton Peace Agreement and its implications for the present and future of the Western Balkans.
To be considered, you will need to submit an essay by October 20. The three best essays will be selected, and the winners will be announced during the BSC Young Leaders program in Belgrade. For more details and to access the application, please see the link below.
https://form.jotform.com/252662051973055
Please note: Submitting an essay for the Vienna opportunity is optional and not required for participation in BSC Young Leaders 2025. However, to be eligible for the Vienna competition, you must first apply and be selected for BSC Young Leaders 2025.
For questions, please contact us at gorana.pebic@bezbednost.org
The Belgrade Security Conference (BSC) is pleased to invite civil society organisations and think tanks from the Western Balkans to submit proposals for side sessions to be held as part of this year’s conference, taking place from 17 to 19 November 2025 at the Sava Centre in Belgrade, Serbia.
“Sweden is a strong and long-term supporter of EU enlargement. This could be the beginning of the end of the negotiations for Montenegro,” stated Jessica Rosencrantz, the Minister for EU Affairs of Sweden, at the fourth in a series of BSC Leaders Meetings held in Podgorica on 12th March 2025.
In partnership with the Balkan Center for Constructive Policies – Solution (North Macedonia) and the Embassy of Sweden, the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) is hosting the fourth edition of the BSC Leaders Meetings event that will take place on 12 March 2025 in Podgorica, Montenegro.
