Beijing, 20 April – At the end of the official visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, to China, a roundtable discussion was held today in Beijing, co-organised by the Bled Strategic Forum and the Chinese think tank ‘Center for China and Globalization’. Under the title ‘Navigating the Future: Strategic Imperatives for Global Resilience’, the panellists agreed that effective multilateralism and respect for international law are key to successfully tackling climate change.
“The slogan ‘building trust’, under which we campaigned for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, can also sum up our successful 4-day visit to China. Although we have different views in some areas, what unites us are undoubtedly the many challenges that can only be tackled successfully together, through dialogue and effective multilateralism. The climate crisis is happening before our eyes and it is the responsibility of all of us, small and large countries alike, to look for solutions. Slovenia is also doing this in the UNSC, where one of our priorities is the impact of climate on peace and security. The Bled Strategic Forum, which is successfully building its global reputation, has an important role to play in providing strategic perspectives on the most pressing challenges and solutions,” said Minister Fajon in her opening address.
Liu Zhenmin, China’s Special Envoy on Climate Change, Peter Grk, Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum and Dr Wang Huiyao, President of the Centre for China and Globalisation, also addressed the participants. In a panel discussion with the Ambassadors of Guyana, Japan, Malta, Slovenia and Switzerland – current UNSC members – to China, speakers discussed proactive approaches for long-term global resilience. They presented their countries’ activities in the fight against climate change and agreed that the Future Summit, to be held in New York in September on the margins of the UN General Assembly, offers a glimmer of hope for reviving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially their implementation.
“Partnerships with important foreign think tanks, such as the Centre for China and Globalisation, strengthen Slovenia’s influence, and allow the Bled Forum to co-shape and co-direct international discourse on strategic issues. Today’s roundtable in Beijing also shows that the Bled Strategic Forum is gaining in prestige and successfully consolidating its position on the map of global international conferences,” added the Forum’s Secretary General, Peter Grk, on the sidelines of the roundtable.
