This panel discussed what cybersecurity is and explored strategies for building the necessary capabilities to bolster cybersecurity in the Western Balkans, as well as to define the new and emerging terms of cyber diplomacy and cyber security.
The aim of the panel titled “The Green Energy Transition in Serbia and Europe” was to discuss the issues related to lithium extraction as one of the key challenges that the EU and the rest of Europe are facing. The moderator of the panel was Stevan Vujasinović.
The panel under the title “Feminist Foreign Policy in Times of War: From Policy to Action” was moderated by Marie Jelenka Kirchner, Associate Researcher, Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis, Skopje. The panel tackled the topic of feminist foreign policy, its definition, as well as the question of which countries already implemented this view on the global world.
The panel “Zeitenwende: A U-turn Nobody Predicted” examined the internal political situation in Germany and its policies towards the war in Ukraine and foreign and defense policies, after the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz announced a “180-degree course correction” in Germany’s traditionally cautious foreign and defense policy in his Zeitenwende speech in 2022. The moderator of this panel was Anna Kuchenbecker, Senior Director, of Strategic Partnerships, European Council on Foreign Relations.
Moderated by Rosa Balfour, the Director of Carnegie Europe, the panel titled “The US and Europe: What Transatlantic Alliance the World Needs?” dealt with the question of the European security architecture, its current state, and the possible scenarios that might play out in the near future. The panelists exchanged analysis about NATO’s influence in the year following the war in Ukraine and how the big powers, such as the US, EU, and China, shape security in the world.
On the 3rd day of the Belgrade Security Conference, the opening panel was titled “Reflecting on Progress: 25 Years of Good Friday Agreement”. The debate focused on the challenges of the Agreement, what Brexit brought to the table, and conclusions that could be drawn for conflicts around the world. The moderator of the panel was Sofija Todorović, Programme Director of Youth Initiative for Human Rights.
The moderator, Paul Helsloot, Director of Strategy, Reaserch and Political Affairs, Amnesty International the Netherlands, started a conversation centred around the pressing challenges faced by human rights activists and the possibility of sparking hope of developing strategies for solving these problems.
The roundtable discussion on the Turkish influence in the Balkans and all the factors that influence the creation of its foreign policy was moderated by BCSP’s Senior Researcher Srđan Hercigonja, while Professor Birgul Demirtas gave an insightful presentation.
Tomislav Žigmanov, Minister of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue of the Republic of Serbia started his address by stating that the Republic of Serbia had worked on the protection and promotion of human and minority rights, which had been acknowledged by international institutions. He added that Serbia has a satisfactory framework for fighting discrimination, that laws have been amended in this field, and that new ones have been passed, including reinforcing the independence of the Ombudsperson of the Republic of Serbia.
The session “Hungary in the Balkans: Crafting the Southern Illiberal Flank” was moderated by Katerina Sinadinovska, Co-founder of the Balkan Center for Constructive Policies “Solution”, Former President, Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia. The debate focused on the foreign policy of Hungary and how the influence of Budapest affects the states of Western Balkan and their EU accession.
