Program of the 15th 2BS Forum
The Age of Transformation
Venue: Main Conference Room, 3rd floor, Hotel Splendid, Budva, Montenegro
Time | Session Title | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
10:00 – 10:10 | Opening Ceremony | |
10:10 – 10:15 | Scene Setter | Sofija Kirsanov, Master of Ceremony
|
10:14 – 10:45 | Opening | Savo Kentera, President, Atlantic Council of Montenegro Judy Rising Reinke, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy in Montenegro |
10:45 – 11:15 | EUROPE’S MOMENT OF RECKONING: Can the Union Act Strategically? | Speakers: Thorsten Benner, Director, Global Public Policy Institute Megi Fino, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Albania Marek Kohv, Head of Security and Resilience Programme, ICDS Péter Sztáray, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Moderator: Jelena Joković, Editor and Journalist, RTCG |
11:15 – 12:00 | THE POWER PARADOX: Allies, Autonomy, and America’s New Compass | Speakers: Gorana Grgic, Senior Researcher and Acting Team Head, Swiss and Euro-Atlantic Security Team, Center for Security Studies, ETH Zürich Edward P. Joseph, Lecturer & Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins SAIS Momčilo Radulović, President, European Movement in Montenegro Valbona Zeneli, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council Moderator: Aleksandra Godfroid, N1 Foreign Desk Producer |
12:00 – 12:30 | COFFEE BREAK | |
12:30 – 13:00 | In the Spotlight: Conversation with the President of Montenegro | Jakov Milatović, President of Montenegro Moderator: Ali Aslan, International Presenter and Journalist |
13:00 – 13:15 | Europe’s Silent Defences in an Age of Transformation | Daniel Markić, Director, European Union Intelligence and Situation Centre (EU INTCEN) Moderator: Jelena Joković, Editor and Journalist, RTCG |
13:15 – 13:45 | ALLIANCE IN ACTION: Strengthening NATO and Partnerships in an Age of Growing Threats | Speakers: Piers Cazalet, Director for Defence and Security Cooperation, NATO Karin von Hippel, Senior Adviser, Strategia Worldwide Federica Mangiameli, Programme Manager and Policy Fellow, Future of Security Programme, GLOBSEC Moderator: Minna Ålander, Associate Fellow, Chatham House |
13:45 – 15:15 | LUNCH | Hotel Splendid, Restaurant on 2nd Floor |
15:15 – 15:30 | In the Spotlight
Security as Currency: Why Stability Attracts Investment | Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Eagle Hills Moderator: Ali Aslan, International Presenter and Journalist |
15:30 – 16:00 | DRAGONS IN THE DARK: China’s Playbook Below the Threshold | Speakers: Ana Krstinovska, President, ESTIMA Saman Nazari, Lead Researcher, Alliance4Europe & Coordinator of the Counter Disinformation Network Moderator: Mareike Ohlberg, Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund |
15:30 – 16:30 | Parallel Workshop: WB6 Youth Leaders’ Recommendations to NATO to Stabilize the Balkans (‘Seeing is Believing’, US-NATO, Forum (MK) and SAIS Project)
Location: Glass-room on the 5th floor | Presentation by: Redion Qirjazi (Albania), Mary Wand Loreto Foundation Željko Vukša-Fejzić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), International Republican Institute’s Generation Democracy Rita Zhubi (Kosovo), LSE Alumni Bajram Geci (Kosovo), UK Royal Defense Academy (online) Sofija Kirsanov (Montenegro), Central European University Georgina Kominovska (North Macedonia), University American College Skopje Flamur Hamidi (North Macedonia), Council of Europe, Strasbourg (online) Stefan Bošković (Serbia), Institute of International Politics and Economics Kaja Burja (USA), SAIS Alumna (online) Project Leader: Edward P. Joseph, Johns Hopkins SAIS |
16:00 – 16:30 | SANCTIFIED INFLUENCE: Russia’s Soft Power by Stealth | Speakers: Kadri Liik, Associated Fellow, ECFR Miroslav Sazdovski, Senior Analyst, Hybrid CoE Moderator: Eto Buziashvili, Research Associate, Atlantic Council, DFRLab |
16:30 – 16:45 | Governmental Perspective on Digital Transformation and Strategic Communication | Speakers: Marash Dukaj, Minister of Public Administration of Montenegro Moderator: Marko Banović, Chief Analyst at Digital Forensic Center |
16:45 – 17:30 | FROM FOG TO FRICTION: Diverging Futures in the Western Balkans | Speakers: Kenneth Morrison, Professor of History / Director, Institute of Global Challenges and Cultures, De Montfort University Frauke Seebass, Associate Fellow, DGAP Berlin, BiEPAG Zlatko Vujović, President of Governing Board, Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) Marjan Šarec, Member of the European Parliament and Standing Rapporteur of the European Parliament for Montenegro Moderator: Sabina Lange, Director, Think Europe |
19:00 – 21:00 | Reception | Venue: Hotel Splendid Pool Area Hosted by: Nikola Jovanović, Mayor, Municipality of Budva |
Venue: Main Conference Room, 3rd floor, Hotel Splendid, Budva, Montenegro
2BS Stratcom
Time | Session Title | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
10:00 – 10:05 | Scene Setter | Sofija Kirsanov, Master of Ceremony
|
10:05 – 10:45 | Competing Narratives: Identity, Influence, and the Western Balkans’ Euro-Atlantic Journey | Speakers: Peter Felten, German Ambassador to Montenegro Emanuele Giaufret, DMD/Director Western Europe, MD Europe and Central Asia, EEAS Andreina Marsella, Ambassador, Italian Embassy to Montenegro Moderator: Olivera Komar, Professor, Faculty of Political Science, University of Montenegro |
10:45 – 11:00 | RULE OF RAW
Emotions as a Trojan Horse of Ideology and Policy – the Case of Montenegro | Aleksandar Musić, PR Consultant
|
11:00 – 11:30 | COFFEE BREAK | |
11:30 – 12:15 | EU Membership: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges to the Union | Speakers: Gordan Grlić-Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Croatia Ervin Ibrahimović, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Montenegro Borut Pahor, Former President, Slovenia Moderator: Marijana Bojanić, CEO, TV Vijesti and Daily Press |
12:15 – 13:00 | Cognitive Battlespaces: Rethinking Strategic Communication and Resilience in a Multi-Vector Environment | Speakers: Yasmine Hafiz, Chief Communications Officer for North America & Security, United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Milan Jovanović, Senior Analyst, Debunk.org Alen Musaefendić, Senior Analyst, Swedish Psychological Defence Agency Kyrylo Viktorov, Head of the Department for Countering Information Threats to National Security, Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation Moderator: Biljana Jovićević, Journalist, Antena M |
12:15 – 13:15 | Parallel Workshop (by invitation only)
Building the “Serbian World“: Serbia’s Impact on Security and Stability in the Western Balkans
Location: Glass-room on 5th floor | In partnership with the Association for International Affairs CZ (AMO) |
13:00 – 13:15 | Digital Forensic Center Report: Between Integration and Destabilization | Speakers: Jelena Danilović, Analyst, Digital Forensic Center Draško Jabučanin, Analyst, Digital Forensic Center Moderator: Sofija Kirsanov, Master of Ceremony |
13:15 – 13:30 | THE OLDEST WEAPON IN THE NEWEST WAR
The Power of Narrative: from Campfire Stories to the Digital Age | Saša Blažeković, Political and Communication Consultant
|
13:30 – 14:00 | Future of AI: Technology at the Core of Digital Transformation and Information Environment | Speakers: Gilles Schwoerer, Head of Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) Ivan Stanković, Cyber Security Expert and Sales Manager, Čikom Moderator: Snezana Nikčević, NGO 35mm |
14:00 – 14:15 | Closing Key Takeaways | Speakers: Savo Kentera, President, Atlantic Council of Montenegro Marko Banović, Digital Forensic Center |
14:15 | FAREWELL LUNCH | Hotel Splendid, Restaurant on 2nd Floor |
Please Note: Slight schedule changes are possible. More names to be added. If this occurs, the 2BS Forum team will provide timely updates.
Concept Note of the 15th 2BS Forum
October 3 - 4, 2025
The Concept Note for the 15th 2BS Forum is currently in preparation and will be available soon.
Program of the 14th 2BS Forum
October 3-4, 2024
Venue: Conference Area, III floor, Hotel Splendid
19.00 – 21.00
RECEPTION
Venue: Conference Area, III floor, Hotel Splendid, Budva, Montenegro
Venue: Conference Area, III floor, Hotel Splendid, Budva, Montenegro
10.00 – 10.05
Scene Setters
10.05 – 10.30
Opening
10.30 – 11.00
In the Spotlight: Conversation with the President of Montenegro
11.00 – 11.30
2BS Forum Chat – Priorities and Challenges for the Western Balkans
11.30 – 11.40
NATO Address
Rebecca OBSTLER, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO (online)
11.40 – 12.10
COFFEE BREAK
12.10 – 12.50
Fractured World: Battleground Echoes
Speakers:
Reinhold LOPATKA, MEP, European Parliament
James SHERR OBE, Honorary Fellow, ICDS and Associate Fellow, Chatham House
Martin SKLENÁR, Distinguished Fellow, GLOBSEC, and Former Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic
Victoria VDOVYCHENKO, Program Director for Security Studies, Center for Defence Strategies
Moderator:
Jasmina KOS, Presenter and Reporter, Al Jazeera Balkans
12.50 – 13.05
Navigating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Future Amid Regional Challenges
13.05 – 13.45
Balkan World: Building Future and Security Posture Amid Geopolitical Challenges
13.45 – 15.00
LUNCH
15.00 – 15.20
In the Spotlight: Conversation with the NATO Military High Official
15.20 – 15.50
Looking Back, Looking Ahead – Future of the Region
15.50 – 16.30
Allied World: Guiding Strategic Resilience in the Face of Uncertainties
16.30 – 17.00
US World: Europe’s Strategy Redux in a Post-Election Landscape?
17.10 – 17.10
Closing Remarks
Speakers:
Rustem UMEROV, Minister of Defence of Ukraine ONLINE ADDRESS
Emil BRIX, Director, Vienna School of International Studies ONLINE SPEAKER
Iulian CHIFU, President, Center for Conflicts Prevention and Early Warning
Nicole KOENIG, Head of Policy, Munich Security Conference
Moderator:
Jasmina KOS, Presenter and Reporter, Al Jazeera Balkans
17.10 – 19.00
2BSecure Aperol Sunset Aperitivo
Venue: Conference Area, III floor, Hotel Splendid
- Please note: Slight schedule changes may occur.