Bled Strategic Forum

2025

Celebrating 20 Years of Strategic Dialogue

In 2025, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Bled Strategic Forum. For two decades, Bled Strategic Forum has provided a platform for high-level strategic discussions on the most pressing issues facing Europe and the world.

Join us for this milestone event as we reflect on our achievements, evaluate current challenges, and look forward to shaping the future of international cooperation and dialogue.

Anniversary Event Details

Mission Statement

The Bled Strategic Forum is committed to creating a sustainable world, offering strategic insights and solutions to the most pressing challenges of today and tomorrow.

Our History

Bled Strategic Forum was launched in 2006, at a time when Slovenia was firmly embarking on its path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration upon joining the EU and NATO in 2004. The venue – Bled – was chosen for its allure, picturesque Alpine setting and prominence. From the very beginning, the Forum was intended to become an informal platform where high-level participants from different backgrounds could gather and discuss a variety of political, security and development challenges confronting Europe and the world.

In 20 years of its existence the Bled Strategic Forum has grown into the leading international conference in Central and South-Eastern Europe. In 2011, the programme of the Bled Strategic Forum was enriched with the Young Bled Strategic Forum. Since then, Young BSF has grown from one-day side event into a self-standing, yet inalienably interwoven with the Bled Strategic Forum, three-day international conference for youth participants.

Former Secretary-Generals

Alain Brian Bergant

Secretary-General of Bled Strategic Forum 2013 – 2015

Miriam Možgan

Secretary-General of Bled Strategic Forum 2010 – 2012

Melita Gabrič

Secretary-General of Bled Strategic Forum 2009

Darja Bavdaž Kuret

Secretary-General of Bled Strategic Forum 2006 – 2008

Bled Strategic Forum Distinguished Partner Award

Since 2017, Bled Strategic Forum has been awarding the Bled Strategic Forum Distinguished Partner Award. The aim of the BSF Distinguished Partner Award is to acknowledge the support of prominent individuals in highlighting global and regional strategic priority issues and supporting and drawing attention to the activities of the BSF.

By inviting high-profile individuals such as high political leaders, practitioners, experts and other decision-makers to serve as Bled Strategic Forum Distinguished Partner, the BSF Programme Committee is recognising the contribution of those committed individuals to promoting, fostering and sustaining effective strategic dialogue and raising awareness of the importance of the Bled Strategic Forum's aims, objectives and priorities.

Therefore, due care is ensured when awarding such designations and maintaining the resulting relationships.

2024

Yulia Navalnaya

Chairwoman of the Advisory Board, Anti-Corruption Foundation; widow of former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny

2023

Maia Sandu

President of Moldova

2022

Michael Roth

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, German Bundestag

2021

Pedro Opeka

Slovenian priest and missionary

2020

Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

represented by Ms Tuula Yrjölä, Officer-in-Charge / Secretary General

2019

Enrico Letta

Former Prime Minister of Italy

2018

Fatou Bom Bensouda

former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

2017

Miroslav Lajčák

Former Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic

Our Team

The Bled Strategic Forum international conference is a project of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and is organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective.